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Stablecoins are poised to become the primary infrastructure for micropayments between artificial intelligence agents, according to recent research by Visa and blockchain intelligence company Artemis. As the integration of AI in digital commerce accelerates, stablecoins have been identified as a cost-effective solution for high-frequency transactions between machines, while traditional card networks are expected to remain central in broader consumer payments.
Stablecoins gain traction in AI-driven paymentsThe joint analysis by Visa and Artemis explores how AI agents—autonomous pieces of software capable of making decisions and executing transactions—are reshaping the digital payment landscape. The research categorizes payments into macro-commerce, such as hotel bookings or subscription services handled by consumers, and micro-commerce, typically defined by ongoing, low-value transactions executed entirely by software.
Stablecoins, which are digital currencies pegged to traditional currencies like the US dollar, excel in the micro-commerce segment. Their blockchain-based architecture allows for low-cost, frictionless value transfers, making them highly suited to the kind of high-volume, small-amount transactions generated by AI-driven services.
Micro-transactions among digital services often occur in the background as applications communicate via APIs or share data and computational resources. Given the prohibitive fee structure of conventional payment rails for such small transfers, stablecoins provide a practical alternative that preserves economic efficiency for business-to-business or machine-to-machine payments.
Mini dictionary: Artemis, a blockchain intelligence company specializing in data analytics and digital asset research, collaborates with major financial institutions to analyze payment technologies and infrastructure.
Visa and Artemis emphasized that stablecoins’ minimal transaction costs make them a compelling choice for recurring software-based payments, setting them apart from fixed-fee card networks.
Dual-rail approach to future payment infrastructureVisa projects that future payment systems will blend both conventional card networks and blockchain-based stablecoin rails, offering a dual-rail approach. In this model, AI agents are expected to intelligently select the most appropriate payment channel for each transaction type: established card networks for consumer-facing macroscale payments, and stablecoins for rapid, automated micro-transactions among machines.
The ongoing integration of stablecoin functionality by traditional financial giants highlights the increasing convergence between legacy payment providers and the digital asset ecosystem. Visa, known globally for its electronic payments processing network, has introduced programs that bridge conventional transaction authorization with blockchain settlement infrastructure. At the same time, crypto-native firms continue to invest in robust security and identity verification systems to meet traditional standards.
The study points to growing collaboration between card networks and blockchain innovators, as legacy institutions expand stablecoin support and invest in interoperable payment applications that can traverse both conventional and decentralized networks.
Payment TypePreferred TechnologyMain AdvantagesConsumer transactionsCard networksWidespread merchant acceptance, established dispute resolutionAI agent micropaymentsStablecoinsLow transaction cost, fast settlement, suitable for automationRegulatory challenges and the future of autonomous paymentsDespite the promise of blockchain infrastructure for AI-driven micropayments, regulatory uncertainty and dispute resolution remain significant hurdles. Current regulations are designed around human oversight and accountability in financial transactions, creating gaps when these processes are managed entirely by software.
Mechanisms like chargebacks and consumer protection protocols, built for low-volume high-value transactions, are not designed to address thousands of continuous, automated transfers. To facilitate the adoption of autonomous commerce, payment facilitators will need to introduce protocols that manage disputes and risks unique to machine-initiated payments.
Visa’s recent initiatives have focused on expanding the adoption of AI-driven and blockchain-based payment workflows. The company has joined industry groups such as the Open Standard consortium, collaborating with organizations like Mastercard and Coinbase to support open stablecoin protocols. This multi-faceted engagement underscores Visa’s commitment to fostering digital asset payments globally, particularly in the realm of automated and micro-scale transactions.
Stablecoins are also gaining ground through expanded partnerships and the rollout of card programs integrated with blockchain settlement, reinforcing forecasts that these digital assets will become the foundation for the next generation of agentic commerce.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Tomorrowland has spent two decades building a reputation as a festival you mostly experience by actually being there. That’s shifting a little further this year. KuCoin says its app will carry the official livestream of Tomorrowland Belgium 2026, putting the Mainstage and Freedom Stage in front of anyone with a phone, not just the crowd standing in Boom.
The exchange holds the title of Tomorrowland’s official exclusive crypto exchange and crypto payments partner, and this year that relationship extends into live broadcast. Coverage runs across both festival weekends, July 17 to 19 and July 24 to 26, with sets from artists including David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris, Hardwell, Armin van Buuren, Alok, Sebastian Ingrosso, and The Chainsmokers.
The mechanics are straightforward. Open the app, find the dedicated Tomorrowland page, and the stream is there, running roughly from early afternoon UTC until well past midnight most nights. Five of the six days run until 01:00 UTC, with the two closing nights (July 19 and July 26) wrapping an hour earlier at midnight.
What makes this more than a one-off livestream deal is everything else happening around it. This is the same year Tomorrowland and KuCoin unveiled a new stage called Celestia, brought back the KuCoin Guardians as a recurring presence across the festival grounds, and lined up a set of activations timed to KuCoin’s ninth anniversary, which happens to land squarely inside the festival’s second weekend. The livestream isn’t a standalone marketing push so much as one more piece of a partnership that’s been building for a few years now.
BC Wong, KuCoin’s CEO, tied the move back to what he described as Tomorrowland’s core strength: bringing people together through music and shared experience, wherever they happen to be watching from. Whether or not you buy the framing, the practical effect is real. A festival that has always leaned on scarcity and physical presence as part of its appeal is now also betting on reach, handing its biggest stages to a platform that already has tens of millions of users logged in for entirely different reasons. It’s a strange but increasingly familiar pairing: crypto exchanges chasing cultural relevance, and cultural institutions chasing audiences crypto exchanges already have.
AUTHOR
Simeon is a detail-driven editor who sharpens every piece with clarity and precision, ensuring clean, consistent, and professional content throughout.
Crypto exchanges are no longer just places to buy and sell digital assets. They’re becoming gateways to global culture. KuCoin proved the point on Thursday by announcing that the official livestream of Tomorrowland Belgium 2026 will be available directly through the KuCoin app. The integration, outlined in a press release, puts one of the world’s largest electronic music festivals inside a trading platform—a move that says as much about exchange strategy as it does about entertainment.
Tomorrowland is not a niche event. The Belgian festival draws hundreds of thousands of attendees and millions of global viewers each year. By hosting the official stream, KuCoin inserts its brand into a cultural moment that spans over 200 countries. It’s the kind of audience scale that crypto exchanges usually cannot reach through native trading tools alone. The placement matters because it shifts the perception of a crypto app from a transaction-only utility to a lifestyle companion. For KuCoin, that’s a bet on mainstream relevance at a time when organic user growth is getting harder across the sector.
Exchanges have been experimenting with non-trading engagement for years. Sponsorships of sports teams, arena naming rights, and metaverse concerts are common. But a direct app integration with a festival livestream narrows the gap between holding an account and being part of an experience. The approach mirrors what Bullish’s $4.2 billion purchase of Equiniti represents at the institutional layer: a decision to push far beyond trading into infrastructure and services that anchor a broader ecosystem. KuCoin is doing something similar on the consumer side, betting that cultural access can drive retention and app downloads more effectively than another fee reduction or token listing.
The livestream itself may or may not include crypto-native features. The press release did not specify whether Tomorrowland ticket NFTs, token-gated backstage content, or on-chain loyalty rewards will be part of the rollout. That silence leaves room for skepticism. A simple embedded video player is a low-effort integration that could be dismissed as a branding flex. If deeper utility follows—perhaps a festival wallet experience or a KCS-linked incentive layer—the partnership becomes more than a marketing stunt. For now, the industry will be watching whether KuCoin converts eyeballs into lasting user behavior or just rents attention for a weekend.
The timing also fits a broader regulatory pattern. Crypto exchanges are under intensifying scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions, and the U.S. is no exception. A landmark crypto bill is facing a last-minute fight in the Senate, with banks pushing to water down rules that could benefit the industry. KuCoin itself has navigated its own share of regulatory friction. In that climate, the Tomorrowland partnership serves a dual purpose: it projects normalcy and cultural integration at a moment when exchanges need to look less like speculative casinos and more like everyday platforms. The music festival angle dilutes the perception of risk simply by associating with a globally beloved event.
Of course, the livestream alone won’t solve the adoption puzzle. Many festival fans will never open a crypto trading screen, and most KuCoin users may already have the app. But the nudging power of cultural exposure is real. A Tomorrowland attendee who watches the replay on KuCoin might explore the app’s other features. The exchange gains a direct pipeline to a demographic that skews young, digital-native, and international—exactly the cohort crypto needs to reach if it wants to grow beyond the early adopter base.
Whether other exchanges follow with their own festival integrations remains an open question. What’s clear is that KuCoin is treating Tomorrowland not as a sponsorship badge but as product real estate. That’s a meaningful shift in how crypto platforms approach mainstream culture. If it works, the line between a crypto app and a music app may blur faster than anyone expected.
AUTHOR
Nicholas Otieno is a fintech writer specializing in cryptocurrency markets. Since 2019, he has written articles to educate readers about cryptocurrency and its substantial positive impact on global prosperity. Nicholas is a Bitcoin holder, believing firmly in its fundamentals. His work has been featured in publications such as Finance Magnates, Blockchain.News, Bitcoin Magazine, Coincub, and among others. When he's not writing, Nicholas enjoys performing domestic tasks, spending time with friends, listening to music, and watching football.
Key Highlights ZEC has surged more than 16% over the last week, currently hovering between $552 and $560 The mainnet activation of the Ironwood shielded pool upgrade is expected around July 28 A critical counterfeiting flaw in the Orchard pool was revealed in early June ZEC futures open interest jumped over 12% within 24 hours, momentarily surpassing $750 million Bulls must clear the $644 resistance zone, with $675–$680 representing the next significant channel target Zcash has posted impressive gains of more than 16% throughout the past week, with ZEC hovering near $552 on Tuesday following an 11% rally in a single trading session, per CoinGecko figures.
Zcash (ZEC) Price The privacy-focused cryptocurrency bounced sharply from late June lows around $368, delivering gains exceeding 56% from that trough in less than three weeks.
Traders have watched ZEC clear two critical resistance barriers. Both the $500 supply zone and the $560 retracement threshold have been recaptured, positioning $644 as the next significant obstacle on the four-hour timeframe.
Breaking above $644 would confirm a bullish short-term reversal, opening the door to subsequent targets at $690 and $750 that market participants are monitoring closely.
Ironwood Upgrade and Critical Infrastructure Transition Driving much of the recent momentum is the upcoming Ironwood shielded pool upgrade, scheduled for mainnet deployment approximately July 28.
UPDATE: Over the last couple weeks we've made huge progress on Ironwood activation in Zcash!
1. All of the consensus rule changes have been implemented, and have been undergoing auditing for some time now. Specifications / ZIPs are published and nearing their final state.
2.… https://t.co/rjQSHM1uox
— Sean Bowe (@ebfull) July 2, 2026
In early June, developers publicly disclosed the discovery of a persistent counterfeiting vulnerability embedded within the Orchard shielded pool, a fundamental component of Zcash’s privacy architecture.
Project Tachyon alongside Zcash core development teams are finalizing rigorous mathematical proofs designed to confirm that Ironwood successfully eliminates the security flaw without introducing additional vulnerabilities.
Concurrently, the legacy Zcashd full-node client is scheduled to reach end-of-life status on July 18, prompting network participants to transition to the updated Zebra node implementation.
Favorable Macro Backdrop Supports Momentum June’s US CPI report delivered figures beneath market expectations, with headline inflation registering 3.5% compared to the anticipated 3.8%.
The cooler-than-expected inflation print diminished rate-hike probabilities, triggering renewed appetite for risk assets. Bitcoin advanced from approximately $62,000 to above $64,000, lending broader market tailwinds.
Open interest across ZEC futures momentarily exceeded $750 million, reflecting a surge of more than 12% in a 24-hour window.
On the daily timeframe, the Relative Strength Index reads around 62, positioned above its moving average yet remaining below the overbought 70 threshold. On-balance volume has trended upward through July, indicating accumulation patterns accompanying the price advance.
Market analyst Ali Charts highlighted on X that ZEC “keeps climbing,” identifying the channel’s upper boundary between $675 and $680 as the next critical level worth monitoring.
ZEC is currently trading near the upper Bollinger Band around $566, while the middle band sits near $464. The three-day Chaikin Money Flow indicator has sustained readings above +0.05, reflecting persistent buying pressure.
The latest market data shows ZEC advancing 1.6% on Wednesday, July 15, with the $644 threshold remaining the decisive level bulls need to conquer.
Zcash, the privacy-focused cryptocurrency launched in 2016, has crossed several important resistance levels in recent weeks. Improving trading volume and positive momentum indicators have contributed to a more optimistic outlook for ZEC, as its price action suggests a solid trend reversal from previous lows.
Zcash breaks out, recovers from 2026 lowsTradingView data shows that ZEC has advanced over 21% in the past week and gained more than 9% in the last month. Over a six-month period, the token is up around 37%, while year-on-year gains exceed 1,190%. This performance highlights sustained strength as the token recovers from its 2026 troughs.
At the time of analysis, ZEC traded at roughly $566 to $579, giving it a market capitalization between $9.5 billion and $9.7 billion. Daily trading volume remains above $600 million, reflecting a notable increase in investor participation during its current rally.
Ali Martinez, a well-known cryptocurrency analyst, reported that ZEC continues to rise within an ascending price channel on the daily chart. He identified the next significant resistance around the upper channel boundary at $675 to $680.
ZEC rebounded from mid-range support between $370 and $463, which has fueled its ongoing rally toward the top end of the trading channel. Martinez’s analysis from July 5 emphasized the importance of this rebound in sustaining the current upward momentum.
TimeframeZEC Price Change1 week+21%1 month+9%6 months+37%1 year+1,190%Technical analysis points to sustained bullish momentumRecent chart reviews indicate that Zcash has completed a major technical breakout by moving above a descending trendline, which previously limited gains for several weeks. TradingView analyst Leo524 noted that investors have managed to defend this breakout region, describing it as “an important shift in market structure.”
The relative strength index (RSI) remains above the neutral 50 mark, indicating growing positive market momentum. Trading volume has also increased during the breakout phase, although further rises in buying activity are needed to confirm a lasting trend.
Rather than chasing price surges, the preferred strategy for entering ZEC could be to wait for a pullback into support zones or a breakout retest above recent highs, according to Leo524.
The analyst flagged the $495 to $445 range as the primary support area. As long as ZEC holds above this level with an RSI above 50, the bullish structure is considered intact. A clear move above the latest swing high could bring $620 and $685 as potential resistance targets.
Wave analysis and resistance levelsA separate wave analysis from 3Commas observed that Zcash’s surge above the $528.75 resistance—which matches the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of its previous correction—has likely accelerated its move within the ongoing bullish impulse wave. Experts point to $674 as the next major resistance, with this level having previously capped price advances in May.
Following a sharp drop from nearly $685 to about $250 earlier this year, Zcash has recovered key support above $400 and rallied back toward the mid-$500 range. The RSI metric has climbed to around 65, indicating growing strength without reaching extreme levels. The report highlights $480 as a crucial support and suggests $600 as the next breakout point on the upside. Holding above $600 could open the way to test $640.
Zcash (ZEC) is a privacy coin designed to enable shielded transactions, allowing users to keep transaction details confidential using advanced cryptography called zero-knowledge proofs.
Mini dictionary: Zero-knowledge proofs, a cryptographic technique that enables one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any additional information beyond the validity of the statement itself.
Technical indicators reinforce positive biasTechnical summaries from TradingView currently show a Strong Buy rating for ZEC, driven largely by bullish moving averages. Most moving averages are aligned in a positive direction, with ZEC trading comfortably above its 50-day moving average around $532 to $533.
Oscillator readings remain mostly neutral, but the technical summary continues to favor buyers. ZEC’s successful breakout above the $528 to $550 area has converted this former resistance into a support level. Maintaining price above this region could underpin the ongoing uptrend, while losing $540 to $550 support might result in a deeper retracement toward lower levels.
Traders are also closely watching the upcoming Ironwood network upgrade, scheduled for late July, which will improve Zcash’s shielded pool infrastructure. However, the sustainability of the rally is expected to depend on continued trading volume, broader market conditions, and Bitcoin’s price performance in the coming weeks.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Zcash (ZEC), a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, has delivered robust gains over the past three weeks. ZEC’s price climbed from late June lows of $368 to approximately $552 on Tuesday, representing a 56% rally. According to CoinGecko, ZEC jumped 11% in a single trading session and has now returned to levels last seen several months ago.
Technical breakout and resistance levelsTraders observed ZEC clearing two crucial resistance zones at $500 and $560. With these levels surpassed, attention has shifted to the $644 resistance, which now forms the central barrier confronting bullish momentum in the four-hour time frame. Market participants noted that a move above $644 would reinforce ZEC’s short-term bullish reversal, paving the way for further upside targets at $690 and $750.
In the latest session on Wednesday, July 15, ZEC advanced another 1.6%, consolidating near $566 at the upper Bollinger Band. The middle band currently sits at $464. The Chaikin Money Flow, a technical indicator tracking buying pressure, has held above +0.05 for the past three sessions, suggesting persistent accumulation by market participants.
On the daily chart, the Relative Strength Index reads around 62, above its moving average but below the overbought threshold at 70, indicating room for further upward momentum.
Key LevelStatus$368Late June low$500Broken resistance$560Broken resistance$644Current resistance$675-$680Next channel target$690Potential next target$750Potential next targetIronwood upgrade and security enhancementsMuch of the recent optimism stems from the imminent Ironwood shielded pool upgrade, scheduled to launch on the mainnet around July 28. This update aims to reinforce Zcash’s privacy and security infrastructure following the public disclosure in early June of a long-standing counterfeiting vulnerability within the Orchard shielded pool—an essential feature protecting user transactions from public view.
Project Tachyon, together with Zcash’s core development teams, continues to finalize mathematical proofs to ensure the Ironwood upgrade resolves these flaws without introducing new vulnerabilities. Community updates have highlighted successful progress, with all consensus rule changes implemented and extensive code audits underway.
Project developers reported that all Ironwood upgrade consensus rules have been implemented and are undergoing comprehensive audits, with technical specifications approaching finalization.
The legacy Zcashd full-node client will be deprecated on July 18, urging node operators to migrate to the updated Zebra implementation to ensure full network compatibility.
Mini dictionary: Zebra is Zcash’s new official consensus node software, built to provide secure and stable full-node functionality and replace the older Zcashd client. It is developed by the Zcash Foundation to improve network performance and security.
Rising open interest and macro driversBeyond technical elements, broader market conditions have also contributed to ZEC’s rally. The US Consumer Price Index in June came in at 3.5%, softer than the anticipated 3.8%, reducing expectations for further Federal Reserve rate hikes. This macro development boosted demand for risk assets, helping Bitcoin rise from $62,000 to above $64,000 and supporting a positive environment for alternative coins like Zcash.
Futures data shows open interest in ZEC contracts briefly topping $750 million, a surge of more than 12% in just 24 hours. Such increased activity reflects a notable shift in trader sentiment and risk appetite. Analyst Ali Charts spotlighted $675-$680 as the next major technical zone to watch, describing sustained buying pressure throughout July.
Analyst Ali Charts identified $675-$680 as the pivotal channel boundary for ZEC’s ongoing uptrend and noted that ZEC continues to climb on persistent momentum.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
The Senate unanimously approved a resolution declaring that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried should under no circumstances receive a presidential pardon or commutation.The bipartisan measure, led by Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Ruben Gallego of Arizona, underscores lawmakers’ view of Bankman-Fried’s role in what prosecutors called one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.Bankman-Fried, convicted in 2023 on seven counts related to FTX’s collapse and the loss of more than $8 billion in customer funds, is not eligible for release until around 2044, and former President Donald Trump has said he has no plans to pardon him.The Senate agreed Wednesday that Sam Bankman-Fried should never receive clemency, passing a resolution that states the FTX founder should "under no circumstances" get a pardon or commutation.
It passed by unanimous consent, a procedure that clears as a measure if not a single senator objects to it.
Senators Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, and Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, serve as the Senate Banking Committee's digital assets subcommittee's top Republican and Democrat, respectively.
Lummis is the crypto industry's most committed advocate in Congress and has spent years writing the legislation the industry wants. She has led the effort to keep one of its most infamous figures behind bars.
"He had his day in court," Lummis said when the pair introduced the measure on June 17. Gallego's statement ended with four words: "Keep him locked up."
Bankman-Fried is not eligible for release until around 2044. A jury convicted him in November 2023 on seven counts tied to the collapse of FTX, which prosecutors called one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history, with American customers losing more than $8 billion.
President Donald Trump said in January he had no plans to pardon Bankman-Fried. He has cleared Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht, along with other white-collar offenders.
Bankman-Fried ran two companies at once. FTX was a crypto exchange, which holds customer money the way a broker does and is not supposed to touch it. Alameda Research was a trading firm he also owned. He moved billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to Alameda, which spent the money on trades, venture investments, political donations, and Bahamian real estate, while FTX's software exempted Alameda from the rules that would have forced it to cover its losses like any other trader.
The facade was blown open after CoinDesk obtained Alameda's balance sheet in November 2022 and found that most of what the firm counted as assets was FTT – a token FTX had created itself and could issue at will.
The collateral propping up Alameda was, in effect, something its sister company had invented. Further cracks emerged after the prominent exchange Binance said, days later, it would sell its FTT holdings, leading to a rapid collapse in FTT prices.
Customers rushed to pull their deposits, and FTX could not return the money because it was no longer there. The exchange filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022, just over a week after the story ran.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
The US government has transferred approximately $250,000 worth of Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens that were seized during the investigation into the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and its associated trading firm Alameda Research.
FTX Bankruptcy Asset ManagementBlockchain analytics provider Arkham Intelligence reported that the SHIB tokens originated from wallets tied to assets confiscated in connection with FTX and Alameda Research. Arkham noted that the recent transaction is part of the government’s ongoing management of seized digital assets tied to the FTX bankruptcy proceedings.
The transaction on the blockchain did not indicate a sale of the SHIB holdings. Instead, the tokens were shifted internally between addresses under the control of US government authorities. The move aligns with established practices for handling confiscated digital assets while legal and financial proceedings continue.
Arkham Intelligence commented that the Shiba Inu tokens are expected to remain in government custody for now, likely to be used in creditor repayment processes once court-approved distributions are finalized. Authorities have not provided a public explanation for this specific transfer, and the tokens have not been moved to an exchange for liquidation.
Arkham Intelligence observed that wallet activity linked to US authorities often attracts attention from market participants, especially when it involves popular assets like SHIB, even if there is no immediate sale taking place.
FTX, once one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, filed for bankruptcy in November 2022 after revelations of misused customer funds and financial instability. Since then, US officials have seized billions of dollars in digital assets, aiming to maximize compensation for creditors impacted by FTX’s collapse.
Impact on SHIB Holders and Market ReactionsThe distinction between moving seized tokens between government-controlled wallets and selling them on public markets is significant for SHIB holders. Internal transfers do not directly change market supply or affect token price, while large-scale sales onto exchanges could exert downward pressure depending on overall liquidity.
Governments and bankruptcy trustees typically avoid rushing to liquidate all assets, often transferring funds between secure digital wallets in preparation for eventual distributions. This process serves both to protect the value of the assets and to ensure compliance with ongoing legal procedures.
ActionImpact on SHIB PriceMarket ReactionInternal transfer (custody wallet to custody wallet)No immediate impactTypically lowSale on public exchangePotential downward pressureHigh (due to increased supply)For holders of Shiba Inu, understanding the nature of such wallet activity is important. Large custodial movements are usually administrative and do not result in immediate price changes, in contrast to tokens being sold on exchanges.
Transparency in Government Crypto HoldingsTraders continue to monitor government-controlled crypto wallets closely after previous high-profile transfers of Bitcoin and other digital assets. Analytics firms like Arkham Intelligence make these movements publicly trackable, helping the market differentiate between simple custody management and actual sales or liquidations.
Although the recent SHIB transfer appears to be an administrative relocation, it underscores how blockchain transparency now enables anyone to observe significant shifts in government-held cryptocurrencies. As the FTX bankruptcy process unfolds, authorities may make further asset movements before distributions commence.
Mini dictionary: Arkham Intelligence is a blockchain analytics company that tracks and monitors on-chain activity for cryptocurrencies and wallet addresses, providing insights into government, corporate, and individual asset movements.
No timeline has been set for the eventual creditor repayments involving the seized Shiba Inu tokens. The US government continues to hold the funds under secure custody pending further court-directed actions.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov stated he was fired at the end of November 2025 and announced the launch of a new project, Second Tier.
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov published a statement saying he was fired at the end of November 2025. While he remains a co-founder of the decentralized exchange aggregator and holds a 50% stake, he is no longer involved in the company’s operations, product architecture, security design, or related oversight duties. Since co-founding 1inch in May 2019, Bukov led work on protocol architecture, security, and economic model design, and contributed to launching key products including the 1inch Router, 1inch Fusion, cross-chain atomic swaps, and shared liquidity automated market makers (AMMs). Bukov noted that feedback from users and team members over the past year led him to realize he could not stay on the sidelines of the company’s management and operations. He subsequently spent months learning leadership and communication skills and driving internal changes, before being dismissed in late November 2025. He also announced the launch of a new project called Second Tier, with plans to collaborate with like-minded teams to build secure, efficient systems that bridge the gap between economic intent and real-world execution.
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Loss-making small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 Index have risen 154% since mid-2025, while profitable companies have gained only 34%.
The Kobeissi Letter stated that companies in the Russell 2000 index with negative earnings per share (EPS) have risen a cumulative 154% since mid-2025, while those with positive EPS have only gained 34% over the same period. So far this year, unprofitable companies in the Russell 2000 have climbed 45%, outperforming profitable firms' 18% rise. Driven by this trend, the Russell 2000 has rallied 20% year-to-date, on track to post its best annual performance since 2003. In comparison, the S&P 500 has gained 11% over the same period, while the US tech "Magnificent Seven" has risen just 4%. The top-performing small-cap stocks are mainly tech and infrastructure firms poised to benefit from AI spending. The market is rewarding AI-related exposure, regardless of whether the companies are profitable or not.
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Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. SEC.
Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a move to bring core traditional financial market functions onto the blockchain. If the application is approved, the Injective network plans to maintain official ownership records for tokenized securities and real-world assets (RWA) directly on-chain.
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Bank of America CEO joins ranks of banking executives warning about risks of Mythos AI
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan has joined a host of Wall Street leaders in voicing serious concerns over AI models such as Mythos developed by Anthropic. “This marks a huge shift in workload, and also relates to how quickly these tools can impact system vulnerabilities, as well as how fast we need to respond,” Moynihan said. In recent months, the rapid evolution of AI models has prompted the financial industry and the U.S. government to begin assessing potential threats. Anthropic claims that Mythos, which launched earlier this year, excels at identifying system vulnerabilities. Bank of America is among the Wall Street institutions granted access to Mythos; the bank has used the model to test its own systems and share information with peers. The model is not yet open to the public. Earlier this week, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that widespread public access to the system would be “as dangerous as handing a ballistic missile to an individual.” (Jinshi)
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Visa Launches Stablecoin Platform to Provide Stablecoin Services to Over 200 Million Merchants.
According to Fortune, Visa has launched a stablecoin platform that provides one-stop stablecoin services for banks and fintech companies, helping them integrate stablecoins into existing payment, settlement and fund flow systems. Visa aims to make it easier for its roughly 15,000 financial institutions and over 200 million merchants to use stablecoins through this platform. The firm processes around $15 trillion in annual payments and has already settled billions of dollars worth of stablecoin transactions to date. The platform will integrate Visa’s existing stablecoin services, reducing the complexity of blockchain technology for its clients, allowing them to focus on optimizing payment experiences. Merchants using stablecoins will benefit from instant settlements and lower transaction costs. The platform will strategically launch with OUSD, a stablecoin introduced by Open Standard two weeks ago, as its foundational infrastructure, while also adding support for USDC and USDG, which Visa already backs. Visa is a partner of Open Standard, and American Express and Mastercard are also involved in OUSD-related collaborations.
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The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution opposing any federal clemency for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
Summary
Senators unanimously backed a resolution opposing any pardon, commutation or other federal clemency for Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried remains imprisoned for FTX fraud while his formal presidential pardon application continues seeking review. The resolution follows Trump’s earlier pardons of other prominent crypto figures, including Zhao and Ulbricht. Senators agreed to the measure by unanimous consent on July 15, meaning no senator objected when it was brought before the chamber.
The resolution states that Bankman-Fried should “under no circumstances” receive executive clemency, including a presidential pardon or sentence commutation. The Senate measure does not limit the president’s constitutional pardon power, but it places the chamber on record against clemency for the former FTX chief.
Senate backs bipartisan resolution without objection The Senate approved S.Res.772, according to the U.S. Senate Daily Press. The measure also states that denying clemency would support the rule of law and the integrity of the U.S. financial system.
Agreed to by unanimous consent: S. Res. 772, A resolution expressing the sense of the #Senate that under no circumstances should Samuel Bankman-Fried receive executive clemency, including a pardon or commutation, and affirming the Senate's commitment to the rule of law and…
— Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) July 15, 2026 Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ruben Gallego introduced the resolution on June 17. Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming, and Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, serve on the Senate Banking Committee’s digital assets subcommittee. When introducing the measure, Lummis said Bankman-Fried “had his day in court,” while Gallego called for him to remain imprisoned.
Bankman-Fried continues to pursue a pardon The Senate action follows Bankman-Fried’s request for presidential clemency. As previously reported by crypto.news, the former FTX chief submitted a pardon application in June while continuing efforts to challenge his conviction and 25-year prison sentence.
His legal options narrowed days later when an appeals court upheld his conviction. As reported by crypto.news, a three-judge panel rejected arguments that the trial court had wrongly limited evidence that Bankman-Fried wanted to present in his defense. The ruling left his conviction and sentence in place, though routes for further review remain available.
FTX collapse remains central to Senate opposition A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven fraud and conspiracy charges linked to the collapse of FTX. Prosecutors accused him of moving billions of dollars in customer funds from the exchange to Alameda Research and using the money for investments, political donations and other spending.
A judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison in March 2024. Bankman-Fried has continued to dispute parts of the government’s case and has sought legal and political routes to reduce or overturn his punishment. Federal prison records cited in recent reporting indicate that his projected release date falls in 2044.
Trump’s earlier crypto pardons shape the backdrop The resolution arrives after President Donald Trump granted clemency to other figures linked to the crypto industry. Trump pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht in January 2025 and later pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in October 2025.
Bankman-Fried has not received support from the White House. As previously reported, Trump said in January that he did not plan to pardon the FTX founder. A White House spokesperson later referred reporters back to those remarks after Bankman-Fried filed his formal application.
The Senate resolution remains nonbinding and cannot block a president from granting clemency. However, its unanimous passage shows that no senator present objected to formally opposing a pardon or commutation for Bankman-Fried.
The United States Senate has unanimously passed a resolution declaring that Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange, should not receive a presidential pardon or commutation under any circumstances. The rare bipartisan action highlights lawmakers’ position on one of the most prominent financial fraud cases in recent history.
Senators unite against clemency for Bankman-FriedThe resolution was spearheaded by Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who serve as the leading Republican and Democrat, respectively, on the Senate Banking Committee’s subcommittee for digital assets. Their involvement underscores Congress’s ongoing focus on regulation and security in the cryptocurrency sector.
Passing by unanimous consent, the resolution received no objections from any senator. This legislative mechanism allows measures to advance swiftly if there is complete agreement among members.
Bankman-Fried “had his day in court,” Cynthia Lummis stated. Ruben Gallego added, “Keep him locked up.”
Sam Bankman-Fried, convicted in November 2023 on seven charges stemming from the FTX collapse, is not eligible for release until approximately 2044. Prosecutors described the FTX debacle as one of the largest financial frauds ever uncovered in the US, with customer losses exceeding $8 billion.
Donald Trump said in January that he has no intention to grant Bankman-Fried a pardon. Trump recently pardoned other notable figures in crypto, including Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht.
Inside the FTX collapseBankman-Fried simultaneously ran FTX, a digital asset trading platform, and Alameda Research, a crypto trading firm. He transferred billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to Alameda, which then used the money for trades, venture capital investments, political donations, and luxury real estate purchases in the Bahamas. FTX also built software that gave Alameda special privileges, exempting it from rules that required other traders to absorb their own losses.
Concerns about FTX’s stability intensified in November 2022, when CoinDesk revealed that Alameda’s balance sheet was heavily dependent on FTT, a digital token created by FTX. Days later, Binance—the world’s largest crypto exchange by volume—announced plans to liquidate its FTT holdings, resulting in a sharp drop in the token’s price.
The ensuing crisis triggered a wave of customer withdrawals from FTX, which could not honor the requests as the funds were no longer available. The company filed for bankruptcy on November 11, 2022, just over a week after initial doubts emerged.
Mini dictionary: FTT is a utility token created by FTX to provide discounts and benefits to users; its price collapse severely impacted the FTX ecosystem because a significant portion of Alameda Research’s reported assets was made up of this illiquid token managed by its sister company.
Key EntityRole in FTX CollapseFTXCrypto exchange that lost over $8 billion in customer depositsAlameda ResearchTrading firm that received customer funds from FTXFTT TokenMain asset on Alameda’s balance sheet, whose plunge sparked crisisBinanceExchange whose sale of FTT triggered market collapseBackground: Congressional crypto oversight and recent developmentsSenator Cynthia Lummis is known as the most prominent supporter of cryptocurrency in Congress, playing a leading role in shaping digital asset legislation, while Ruben Gallego has consistently advocated for strict oversight in the sector.
The Senate’s decision follows previous high-profile clemency cases. Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, as well as Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, a darknet marketplace. However, the Senate’s latest action clearly separates Bankman-Fried’s case, reflecting a bipartisan consensus on the seriousness of the FTX collapse.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
In brief The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution stating that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried should "under no circumstances" receive executive clemency, including a pardon or commutation. The bipartisan measure was led by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), the top members of the Banking Committee's digital assets subcommittee. The resolution is symbolic and doesn't limit the president's constitutional pardon power; Bankman-Fried, convicted in 2023, isn't eligible for release until 2044. The U.S. Senate has unanimously declared that Sam Bankman-Fried should never win clemency, passing a resolution on Wednesday that says the convicted FTX founder should "under no circumstances" receive a pardon or commutation of his 25-year sentence.
Agreed to by unanimous consent: S. Res. 772, A resolution expressing the sense of the #Senate that under no circumstances should Samuel Bankman-Fried receive executive clemency, including a pardon or commutation, and affirming the Senate's commitment to the rule of law and…
— Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) July 15, 2026
The measure, S. Res. 772, passed by unanimous consent—a procedure that clears a resolution as long as not a single senator objects. Alongside its stance on Bankman-Fried, it affirmed the Senate's commitment to "the rule of law and integrity of the United States financial system."
As a nonbinding resolution, it carries no legal force, and cannot curb the president's constitutional power to grant clemency.
A rare bipartisan frontThe measure was steered by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee's digital assets subcommittee, who introduced it on June 17. Lummis, the crypto industry's most prominent advocate in Congress, said at the time that Bankman-Fried "had his day in court." Gallego was more blunt, stating, "Keep him locked up."
At the time, a spokesperson for Lummis' office told Decrypt that, “SBF has clearly ramped up his pardon campaign and Senator Lummis wants Fried to know she and her colleagues think he’s right where he belongs.”
A narrowing path to freedomThe vote lands as Bankman-Fried keeps looking for a way out. He lost his appeal when a federal court upheld his fraud conviction last month, while President Donald Trump said in January that he had no plans to pardon him.
Trump has been willing to extend clemency to other crypto figures—among them Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, BitMEX co-founders Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed, and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht, all of whom he pardoned.
How FTX unraveledA jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts tied to the 2022 implosion of FTX, once one of the world's largest crypto exchanges. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with prosecutors called it one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history after American customers lost more than $8 billion.
With the courts, the White House, and now the full Senate lining up against him, Bankman-Fried's options are thinning—leaving his scheduled release, somewhere around 2044, as his likeliest route out.
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The US Senate has adopted a resolution opposing executive clemency for former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted crypto executive behind one of the industry’s largest collapses.
The Senate has agreed by unanimous consent to the simple resolution (S. Res. 772), with a nonbinding measure stating that Bankman-Fried should not receive executive clemency, according to a Wednesday X post by the Senate Press Gallery.
The resolution affirms the Senate’s commitment to the rule of law and the integrity of the US financial system following Bankman-Fried’s conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges related to FTX’s collapse.
The measure cannot block a presidential pardon but reflects bipartisan Senate opposition after Bankman-Fried sought executive clemency from President Donald Trump.
Senate weighs in, but cannot block a pardonIntroduced on June 17 by Senator Ruben Gallego, with Senator Cynthia Lummis as a cosponsor, S. Res. 772 opposes any form of federal clemency for Bankman-Fried, including a presidential pardon or sentence commutation.
Unlike legislation, a simple Senate resolution does not require approval from the House or the president and does not have the force of law, according to the Senate’s “Types of Legislation” guide.
Source: Senate Press Gallery
Congress.gov had not yet reflected the latest floor action at the time of publication.
Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio joined as a cosponsor on Tuesday, adding Republican support to the bipartisan measure.
Prediction markets see little chance of a pardonBankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison in March 2024 after being convicted of fraud and conspiracy charges linked to FTX’s collapse in 2022.
Speculation about a possible presidential pardon grew after Bankman-Fried applied for clemency from Trump in June 2026, with the request listed as pending in Department of Justice records.
Source: Polymarket
On Polymarket, traders currently assign less than a 1% chance that Trump will pardon Bankman-Fried by July 31. The market has attracted more than $734,000 in trading volume, indicating notable interest despite the low odds.
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The Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution stating that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried should never receive a presidential pardon or commutation.
Posted July 16, 2026 at 6:14 am EST.
The U.S. Senate agreed on Wednesday that Sam Bankman-Fried should never receive clemency, passing a resolution stating that the FTX founder should “under no circumstances” get a pardon or commutation. It passed by unanimous consent.
The nonbinding resolution was led by Senators Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, and Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, who serve as the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee’s digital assets subcommittee. The pair introduced the measure last month, after Bankman-Fried formally asked Trump for a pardon.
This story is an excerpt from the Unchained Daily newsletter.
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“He had his day in court,” Lummis said, introducing the resolution last month.
President Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht, but said in January he had no plans to rescue Bankman-Fried.
Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year sentence and is not eligible for release until around 2044. A jury convicted him in November 2023 on seven counts tied to the collapse of FTX, which prosecutors called one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history, with customers losing more than $8 billion. He lost an appeal of that conviction in June and is separately seeking a new trial.
FTX collapsed in November 2022 after it emerged that Bankman-Fried had funneled billions in customer deposits to Alameda Research, his affiliated trading firm, which spent the money on trades, venture bets, political donations, and real estate. The exchange filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022, once customers rushed to withdraw funds that were no longer there.
Related Listen: DEX in the City: Why the Supreme Court’s FTC Ruling Could Rewire Crypto Regulation
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
The US Senate has just sent a harsh message in the FTX case. Sam Bankman-Fried should not receive any presidential pardon. This resolution does not legally block the president’s power. But it further isolates the former king of crypto, already sentenced to 25 years in prison for one of the largest financial frauds in American history.
In brief The US Senate unanimously opposes any pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried. The resolution is symbolic but very heavy politically. The FTX case remains a central marker for the credibility of crypto. A rare vote against Sam Bankman-Fried The US Senate adopted a clear resolution against any leniency for the former FTX boss. The text states that Sam Bankman-Fried should receive no pardon, no sentence commutation, and no other form of federal clemency. The vote was obtained by unanimous consent. This means that no senator opposed its adoption. In a frequently fractured Congress, this consensus gives the case a strong political weight.
The resolution remains non-binding. It does not remove the president’s constitutional power of pardon. But it establishes a public line. Granting a favor to SBF would now mean opposing a position expressed by the entire Senate. The FTX case continues to stick to the crypto sector’s skin. Sam Bankman-Fried had built an image of genius, political donor, and industry savior. His fall left a deep scar.
The jury found him guilty in 2023 on seven counts related to fraud. In March 2024, the court sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Prosecutors described the collapse of FTX as one of the largest financial frauds in American history. For the crypto industry, this vote comes at a sensitive moment. Serious players want to distinguish themselves from the era of opaque empires, missing ledgers, and inflated promises. The Senate’s message strengthens this boundary.
SBF’s clemency would have blurred this separation. It would have given the impression that notoriety, political networks, or communication can soften massive fraud. This is precisely what elected officials want to avoid.
FTX remains a warning for the entire market The text was carried by Cynthia Lummis and Rubén Gallego, two senators at the heart of the discussions on digital assets. Their alliance gives special weight to the initiative. Lummis is known for her pro-crypto positions. Gallego also advocates a more structured framework for the industry. Their message is thus not anti-crypto. It aims rather to separate digital innovation from fraud.
This is where the vote becomes interesting. The Senate does not say that crypto should be rejected. It says that the FTX case cannot be erased by a political gesture. The nuance matters. Sam Bankman-Fried has already tried several defense routes. He challenged his trial, criticized the procedure, and sought to evolve his public narrative. But the courts have so far scarcely followed this line. His judicial path has narrowed, as shown by his appeal hearing.
The resolution does not free the victims. It does not reimburse the losses. It does not repair the years of chaos following the bankruptcy. But it locks the symbol. FTX was not only a platform that collapsed. It was a large-scale failed trust test. Clients thought they were depositing funds in a safe infrastructure. They discovered a fragile, confused system mixed with Alameda Research.
For Sam Bankman-Fried, the political window is closing. His scheduled release around 2044 remains the most likely scenario. For crypto, the message is broader: the industry can only gain durable public trust by accepting that the FTX case remains a precedent, not an embarrassing parenthesis.
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Lydie M.
Enseignante et ingénieure IT, Lydie découvre le Bitcoin en 2022 et plonge dans l’univers des cryptomonnaies. Elle vulgarise des sujets complexes, décrypte les enjeux du Web3 et défend une vision d’un futur numérique ouvert, inclusif et décentralisé.
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
The U.S. Senate has voted unanimously to oppose any form of SBF clemency. They passed a non-binding resolution that declares FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried should receive no presidential pardon or commutation “under any circumstances.” The July 16 vote comes as President Donald Trump’s selective crypto clemency moves continue to reshape the industry’s regulatory landscape.
Senate Draws Hard Line on Sam Bankman-Fried Clemency SBF had been actively lobbying for a pardon. His push for Trump’s pardon intensified after the White House cleared Binance’s Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht earlier this year, moves that fueled speculation SBF might be next.
The resolution, S. Res. 772, was introduced on June 17 by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee’s digital assets subcommittee. It passed by unanimous consent, meaning not a single senator raised an objection.
US SENATE UNANIMOUSLY OPPOSES CLEMENCY FOR FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED
— The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) July 16, 2026
“He had his day in court,” Lummis said at the resolution’s introduction. Gallego’s statement was more direct: “Keep him locked up.”
Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on seven counts tied to FTX’s collapse.
Earlier attempts to fight back in court also failed. Bankman-Fried’s appeal to overturn his crypto fraud conviction was rejected. This left clemency as his remaining legal lifeline, one the Senate has now moved to politically seal off.
His parents separately lobbied the White House. In a move that drew wide attention, SBF’s parents sought Trump’s pardon on his behalf, though that effort also failed to gain traction.
Trump’s Pardon Record Creates a Sharp Contrast Trump’s position on SBF clemency has been consistent. The White House said in January it had no plans to pardon the FTX founder, a stance that contrasts sharply with Trump’s broader pro-crypto clemency moves.
Earlier this year, Trump pardoned Binance’s CZ, a move that triggered an immediate spike in BNB prices and was seen as a bullish signal for the industry.
The contrast between that decision and the Senate’s unanimous push against any SBF pardon reveals where the political line is drawn. Regulatory friction may be forgiven, but outright customer fraud is not.
The White House itself drew that distinction early. Reports confirmed Trump won’t pardon FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried. It further cited the scale and nature of the fraud as a key differentiating factor from other cases.
For investors, the Senate’s unanimous opposition to SBF clemency provides a degree of regulatory clarity.
It signals that the U.S. government treats large-scale crypto fraud with the same severity as traditional financial crime, a message that could support institutional confidence in compliant projects going forward.
Sharpen your market analysis with our list of the best crypto research tools.
The Senate passed a resolution on Wednesday stating that Sam Bankman-Fried should “under no circumstances” receive executive clemency, a rebuke of the FTX founder’s request that President Donald Trump commute or pardon his sentence.
The measure, S. Res. 772, cleared by unanimous consent, a procedure that adopts a resolution when no senator objects. It expresses the sense of the Senate that Bankman-Fried should receive neither a pardon nor a commutation, and it affirms the chamber’s commitment to “the rule of law and integrity of the United States financial system.”
The resolution is nonbinding and does not limit the president’s constitutional power to grant clemency.
Senators Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, and Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, sponsored the measure. The two serve as the top Republican and top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee’s digital assets subcommittee. They introduced the resolution on June 17, days after Bankman-Fried filed a formal pardon application with the Justice Department.
Lummis is the crypto industry’s most committed advocate in Congress and has spent years drafting the legislation the industry seeks. On this measure she has led the push to keep one of the industry’s most infamous figures in prison. “He had his day in court,” Lummis said when she and Gallego introduced the resolution. Gallego’s statement closed with four words: “Keep him locked up.”
The text of the resolution states that Bankman-Fried’s 25-year sentence “reflects the extraordinary scale and deliberateness of his crimes, his lack of remorse, and the catastrophic harm inflicted upon millions of victims.”
Bankman-Frieds’ attempts to get out of jail Bankman-Fried, 34, filed his petition on June 8. His application seeks a “pardon after completion of sentence,” a form of clemency that would not erase his conviction but would restore civil rights such as voting and jury service and lift barriers to licensing, employment, and housing after he leaves prison.
He is not eligible for release until around 2044.
Trump said in a January interview that he had no intention of pardoning Bankman-Fried. During his second term the president has granted clemency to other figures tied to crypto and to online markets, including Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht, along with other white-collar offenders.
A jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts tied to the collapse of FTX, a case prosecutors described as one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history. American customers lost more than $8 billion. A judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison in 2024.
Bankman-Fried ran two companies at the same time. FTX was a crypto exchange, which holds customer money the way a broker does and is not supposed to spend it. Alameda Research was a trading firm he owned.
He moved billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to Alameda, which used the money for trades, venture investments, political donations, and Bahamian real estate. FTX’s software exempted Alameda from the rules that would have forced it to cover its losses like any other trader.
The arrangement came apart once Alameda’s balance sheet was found and reported that much of what the firm counted as assets was FTT, a token FTX had created and could issue at will. The collateral behind Alameda was, in effect, an asset its sister company had invented. The exchange Binance said within days that it would sell its FTT holdings, and the price of the token dropped.
Customers moved to withdraw their deposits, and FTX could not return the money because it was no longer there. The exchange filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022.
CoinDesk was the first to report on FTX’s dubious balance sheets.
Micah Zimmerman
Micah first discovered Bitcoin in 2018 but remained a skeptic on the sidelines for too long. Since 2021, he has covered crypto and business and now works as a news reporter for Bitcoin Magazine, based in North Carolina.
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Aave DAO has just crossed a historic milestone by offering a consumer app integrating fiat, self-custody and DeFi lending. A breakthrough that could shake up the crypto ecosystem, by providing a simple, secure and decentralized alternative to giants like Binance. Is the platform war declared?
In brief Aave App could soon see the light of day on Aave DAO’s proposal, merging fiat and DeFi for a simplified user experience. A direct challenge to Binance with superior yields and total decentralization. MiCA and regulators could limit its expansion in Europe and the United States. Aave DAO Provides Fiat, Self-Custody, and DeFi Lending in a Single Crypto App Aave DAO has officially presented its proposal for an all-in-one mobile application, designed to democratize DeFi by combining fiat on-ramp, self-custody and lending. A first in the crypto ecosystem, addressing a pressing need: making decentralized finance accessible to the general public. With Aave Push as a regulated partner, users will be able to deposit currencies directly from their bank accounts, without going through centralized exchanges.
Once the funds are converted into stablecoins (USDC, USDT, GHO), they are automatically allocated to Stable Vaults, generating returns via the Aave protocol. All without an external wallet. This is possible thanks to ERC-6900 smart accounts secured by multiple audits (Certora, ChainSecurity, etc.). But the real game-changer? Balance Protection, a DeFi insurance covering losses linked to security breaches or technical bugs. A direct response to crypto users’ fears after recent exploits (Kelp DAO, rsETH).
If Aave App Comes to Life, what About MiCA in Europe? The likely arrival of the Aave App raises a crucial question: how will it adapt to MiCA in Europe? Effective in 2024, it imposes strict obligations on crypto service providers, notably regarding KYC, transparency and stablecoin stability. With its fiat integration via Aave Push, the app will have to comply with AML (anti-money laundering) requirements and obtain specific licenses in each European country.
Moreover, additional tightening could limit its operation or force Aave to adapt its model. In the United States, for example, the SEC and FinCEN could also impose restrictions on fiat on-ramps, as they have done for Kraken or Coinbase. Will the Aave App then have to sacrifice its decentralization to survive?
The Aave App could launch and transform DeFi. But its success will depend on its adaptation to regulations like MiCA. Between innovation and compliance, the challenge is significant. And you, would you trust a 100% decentralized app against centralized crypto giants?
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Eddy S.
The world is evolving and adaptation is the best weapon to survive in this undulating universe. Originally a crypto community manager, I am interested in anything that is directly or indirectly related to blockchain and its derivatives. To share my experience and promote a field that I am passionate about, nothing is better than writing informative and relaxed articles.
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
Two names are dominating the DeFi leaderboard right now, and neither of them is Ethereum, Solana, or Arbitrum. Stable, a blockchain most people haven’t heard of, posted the highest 30-day TVL growth of any chain tracked by DefiLlama. Meanwhile, Monad’s total value locked surged to $621 million, fueled largely by Aave’s decision to set up shop on the high-throughput Layer 1.
Stable’s quiet breakout Stable’s 30-day TVL growth clocked in at approximately 19.70%, enough to lead every blockchain on DefiLlama’s rankings. In absolute terms, the numbers are still modest: a DeFi TVL of around $33 million and a bridged TVL exceeding $129 million.
The gap between Stable’s DeFi TVL and its bridged TVL is worth noting. A bridged TVL of $129 million against $33 million in active DeFi usage suggests a significant amount of capital is parked on the chain but not yet deployed into protocols.
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Monad’s Aave-fueled surge Monad’s story is louder and more capital-intensive. The EVM-compatible Layer 1, which has positioned itself around high throughput and parallel execution, saw its TVL reach $621 million according to the latest figures. The catalyst was clear: Aave V3 launched on Monad on July 2, 2026.
The lending giant’s arrival wasn’t subtle. The Aave market on Monad attracted $83.5 million in deposits on its first day. Within 48 hours, that figure crossed $100 million. The Monad Foundation helped grease the wheels with $15 million in incentives for early adopters.
Aave V3 on Monad supports 12 assets, including major stablecoins like USDT and USDC, along with WETH, cbBTC, and Aave’s native stablecoin GHO.
On-chain data showed that initial utilization in the Aave Monad market sat around 38%, meaning roughly half of the deposits weren’t being actively borrowed against. One asset, syrupUSDC, accounted for about 43% of the total TVL in the Aave Monad market.
The growth trajectory Monad’s TVL trajectory has been steep even before Aave entered the picture. The chain went from roughly $80 million in TVL back in November 2025 to over $400 million by April 2026. The Aave deployment then pushed it to its current level of $621 million.
What this means for investors For Monad specifically, the 38% utilization rate is the number to watch. Healthy lending markets typically see utilization between 40% and 80% depending on the asset. If borrowing demand picks up as more protocols deploy on Monad, the ecosystem starts to look sustainable. If utilization stays low and syrupUSDC continues to dominate the deposit base, the $621 million TVL figure might be more fragile than it appears.
Stable presents a different risk profile. A $33 million DeFi TVL means the chain is early, possibly very early. Early-stage chains offer outsized growth potential but come with thinner liquidity, fewer audited protocols, and higher smart contract risk. The 19.70% monthly growth rate is impressive on a percentage basis, but it doesn’t take much capital movement to shift the numbers at that scale.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Primit × Avalanche Season 1 “On-Chain Perp Frenzy” is now officially live on the Avalanche network. With a total prize pool of 100,000USDT equivalentin AVAX and four simultaneous reward mechanisms, this marks the first large-scale on-chain perpetual trading incentive event in the Avalanche ecosystem.
Full Mechanism Overview Daily Random User Rewards ($7,000 pool) Every day, 20 users with ≥$200 trading volume are randomly selected to share a $500 pool. 280 total winner slots over 14 days. Draws execute automatically via script daily, with off-chain public verification. Twitter Contributor Rewards ($5,200 pool) For community content creators. Post high-quality Primit tutorials, strategy analysis, risk management, or reward breakdowns on Twitter/X with #PrimitAvalanche. Human + Agent review. Top contributors earn $300–$500 each. Referral Rebate Mechanism ($50,000 pool) Every user receives an auto-generated unique Referral Code. A referred user must register via the code and achieve ≥$500 cumulative volume with ≥5 trades during the event to count as valid. After the event, the $50,000 pool is distributed proportionally by valid referral volume. No individual cap. Volume Leaderboard ($37,800 pool, Top 120) Ranked by cumulative volume after the event: Top 1: $4,000 Top 2: $2,500 Top 3: $1,800 Top 4–10: $1,000 each (total $7,000) Top 11–30: $450 each (total $9,000) Top 31–60: $250 each (total $7,500) Top 61–120: $100 each (total $6,000) Avalanche Multiplier Volume from AVAX-related pairs or using native gas receives a 1.5x weighting. This design directs traders toward Avalanche’s core ecosystem assets while providing quantifiable on-chain activity data for the Avalanche Foundation.
Founder Quote “Season 1 is not a simple airdrop event. It’s a product stress test. We aim to prove that on-chain perpetual trading is ready to carry real, high-frequency, professional demand. Avalanche’s infrastructure makes this possible.” — Team Primit
Primit is a next-generation on-chain perpetual contract trading platform focused on low-latency, low-fee, fully transparent on-chain derivatives. Avalanche is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain known for sub-second finality and minimal gas costs.
Follow Twitter : https://x.com/primitforall Event Portal: https://app.primit.io/campaigns Event Period: July 15 — July 28 Disclaimer: TheNewsCrypto does not endorse any content on this page. The content depicted in this Press Release does not represent any investment advice. TheNewsCrypto recommends our readers to make decisions based on their own research. TheNewsCrypto is not accountable for any damage or loss related to content, products, or services stated in this Press Release.
Key Highlights Avalanche becomes the inaugural non-Ethereum blockchain to receive Aave V4 deployment Hub & Spoke framework enables decentralized liquidity sharing with independent risk management per market Future lending markets will accommodate tokenized Treasury securities, money market instruments, private credit, and corporate debt Deployment decision influenced by Avalanche’s expanding tokenized asset ecosystem Token value declined more than 3% within 24 hours to $96.86 following deployment news The leading decentralized finance protocol Aave has introduced its V4 lending platform on the Avalanche blockchain, representing the protocol’s inaugural expansion beyond the Ethereum network. This strategic deployment emphasizes developing credit infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets.
JUST IN: Aave v4 goes live on Avalanche, marking its first expansion beyond Ethereum
The upgrade lets multiple lending markets share liquidity while keeping risk separated, laying the groundwork for institutional lending against tokenized real-world assets.
Avalanche committed… pic.twitter.com/zAVORcPGuS
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) July 16, 2026
The deployment implements Aave V4’s innovative Hub & Spoke framework. This architectural approach enables separate markets to maintain autonomous collateral parameters and risk management protocols while maintaining connectivity to unified liquidity pools throughout the ecosystem.
Stani Kulechov, Aave’s founder, explained that Avalanche was selected due to its established Aave presence and accelerating tokenization initiatives. According to Kulechov, “Aave V4 was designed to enable new credit markets at internet scale.”
Among the initial markets planned for Avalanche will be institutional lending facilities that accept tokenized collateral. The protocol envisions future markets encompassing US Treasury instruments, money market vehicles, private credit arrangements, and corporate bond securities.
John Wu, President of Ava Labs, positioned the deployment within a larger industry transformation. According to Wu, “The next phase of tokenization is about putting assets to work, not just bringing them onchain.”
Avalanche Selection Rationale Before the V4 enhancement, Aave V3 already managed billions in liquidity volume on Avalanche. The blockchain has additionally experienced substantial tokenization momentum recently.
On July 13, Bridgetower completed tokenization of over $11 billion in tangible production assets on Avalanche utilizing Chainlink technology. This initiative encompassed the Arizona Copper-Gold operation and elevated Avalanche to the fifth position in net RWA capital inflows on RWA.xyz within hours.
Aave maintains its position as the dominant decentralized lending platform by total value locked, controlling approximately $14 billion in assets distributed across 23 blockchain networks, based on DeFiLlama statistics.
RWA Tokenization Landscape Tokenized real-world assets have experienced remarkable expansion. Currently, over $34 billion in real-world assets exist in tokenized form on public blockchains, compared to $12.8 billion twelve months prior, according to RWA.xyz data.
Additional financial institutions are constructing comparable infrastructure. In May, DTCC announced plans to incorporate Chainlink technology into its tokenized collateral system before an anticipated Q4 deployment.
Market analyst Michaël van de Poppe published an optimistic technical assessment of AAVE’s price action on July 14, noting the token successfully converted both its 21-day and 50-day moving averages to support levels for the first occasion in twelve months. Van de Poppe suggested it was “just a matter of time” before the asset surpasses $100.
This remains a phenomenal chart for $AAVE.
For the first time in a year, it has flipped the 21-Day MA and 50-Day MA for support.
That would indicate that we're going to see a lot more strength going forward, and it's just a matter of time until this breaks $100. pic.twitter.com/AxYCe3QLpF
— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) July 14, 2026
Notwithstanding the deployment announcement, AAVE decreased more than 3% across 24 hours to $96.86, influenced by wider Bitcoin market turbulence.
The rollout is the first time Aave’s new Hub and Spoke architecture has run on a chain other than Ethereum, though the tokenized-asset markets it is built for remain a stated plan.
Posted July 16, 2026 at 5:39 am EST.
Aave has deployed Aave V4, the newest version of its lending protocol, on Avalanche. This is the first time the software has run on a blockchain other than Ethereum.
The rollout extends Aave’s Hub and Spoke architecture, the redesign that launched on Ethereum in March, to a network where Aave’s older V3 markets have operated for years. Aave said the move is a template for expanding V4 to other chains where it already has users rather than copying identical markets everywhere.
What actually shipped The live deployment is the lending infrastructure itself. The feature Aave is promoting most heavily, a dedicated market for borrowing against tokenized real-world assets such as U.S. Treasuries, money market funds, private credit, and corporate bonds, is not yet running. Founder Stani Kulechov said it is on the way, not live.
“Avalanche is a natural destination for the first expansion of Aave V4 beyond Ethereum because it combines a mature Aave lending market with a rapidly growing ecosystem for tokenized assets,” Kulechov said in the announcement. “That’s exactly why one of the first markets we plan to launch on Avalanche is a dedicated credit market for tokenized assets.”
Why Avalanche Aave’s V4 design keeps each market’s collateral and risk rules separate while letting them draw on shared liquidity, an approach pitched at institutions that want tighter controls. Avalanche has courted that same audience, positioning itself as a network for institutional finance and tokenized assets.
“As more financial institutions adopt tokenized assets, they’ll need the infrastructure to borrow against them, access liquidity, and use them as effectively as they do in traditional markets,” said John Wu, president of Ava Labs, in the announcement.
Aave first brought V4 to Ethereum on March 30 after more than two years of development. Aave says the protocol has taken in more than $1 trillion in cumulative deposits over its history. Whether the Avalanche deployment draws meaningful borrowing will depend on the tokenized-asset markets Aave has yet to turn on.
Related Listen: Why Any DeFi Protocol ‘Lives and Dies by Its Oracle’ and How to Strengthen Them
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
British communications regulator Ofcom has begun a formal investigation into TikTok’s practices regarding age verification, expressing concern that children are circumventing the platform’s age filters. Ofcom’s move follows reports that TikTok relies on “age inference” technologies to estimate users’ ages based on their activity, rather than employing stricter age checks.
Ofcom, the authority that oversees the UK’s communications and broadcasting standards, stated that TikTok’s reliance on behavioral data to infer user age does not satisfy the requirements set out in the Online Safety Act. Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, voiced skepticism during an interview about the efficacy of age inference as a safeguard for minors.
Ofcom’s Kate Davies commented, “We have serious doubts about [TikTok’s age checks], and so we have launched an investigation into TikTok. Age inference is not in our guidance as an effective method of age check.”
According to the Online Safety Act, social media platforms are expected to put in place robust verification measures to prevent underage users from accessing inappropriate content. Ofcom has indicated that if TikTok is found to be non-compliant, the company could be fined up to 10% of its global revenue.
A TikTok spokesperson responded to the inquiry, stating the platform remains “confident” it meets its legal obligations and highlighting the billions spent on user safety since launching in the UK eight years ago.
Recently, TikTok also removed more than 4 million accounts of users under the age of 16 in Indonesia, reflecting similar regulatory pressure in other markets.
AI video content sparks debate among TikTok Shop creatorsBeyond age verification, TikTok is facing criticism from creators over the use of artificial intelligence in its e-commerce feature, TikTok Shop. The platform allows sellers to create AI-generated videos featuring virtual models to showcase products. This development has drawn backlash from real-life creators, who claim their earnings are being undercut.
Affiliated creator Rosemarie Soma explained, “I create ads for products that I have in person, real reviews, showing the actual product. It’s very frustrating for affiliates because these [AI] videos are getting ad spend and are making sales.”
Some brands have issued direct responses. SharkNinja, a consumer technology company known for home appliances, informed its affiliates in a memo that use of TikTok’s AI Video Maker is forbidden under its content policy. SharkNinja warned sellers they would lose commissions if they used AI-generated product videos.
Neil Shah, SharkNinja’s chief commercial officer, emphasized a preference for authenticity, expressing a desire for actual consumers to see real products being used.
Research from eMarketer projects that TikTok Shop sales in the United States will reach $23.41 billion this year, marking a 48% increase, which places its sales ahead of retailers such as Target and Costco. The affiliate program now has 11.3 million creators globally, including 945,000 in the US, up from 2.3 million in 2024, according to Charm.io.
Metric20242025TikTok Shop US sales$15.82 billion$23.41 billionGlobal affiliate creators2.3 million11.3 millionUS affiliate creators–945,000AI-generated content is becoming increasingly common. Creator Daria Simhony produces daily AI videos for a variety of virtual personas, highlighting the flexibility and scale offered by the technology. Lauren Lyster from Go Fish Digital, a digital marketing agency, commented that brands leveraging open affiliate programs must weigh increased exposure against greater reputational risk.
One instance involved an AI creator promoting Rare Beauty, a cosmetics company founded by Selena Gomez, without the brand’s direct involvement. Rare Beauty clarified that it does not collaborate with AI-generated content, though its products remain accessible for promotion via open affiliate initiatives.
SharkNinja’s Neil Shah admitted the company’s capacity to enforce restrictions is limited, reiterating the request for affiliates to use actual products in video content.
Mini dictionary: Ofcom is the UK’s regulatory authority for communications industries, overseeing broadcasting, telecommunications, and online safety enforcement.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Aave V4 has officially gone live on the Avalanche network, marking the decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol’s first deployment outside of the Ethereum mainnet. Avalanche, a fast-growing layer-1 blockchain, announced that the launch sets the stage for a new generation of on-chain credit markets that could include tokenized and traditional assets in the future.
Aave brings Hub and Spoke model to AvalancheThe Aave V4 deployment introduces its Hub and Spoke framework to Avalanche. This architecture separates shared liquidity pools from individual lending markets, each operating with specialized risk parameters. By using this structure, Aave aims to improve capital efficiency and provide customized financial products for various types of borrowers and collateral.
Aave Labs stated that Avalanche was a natural fit for expansion due to its established DeFi environment and strong track record of supporting Aave V3 since 2022. The network has successfully managed liquidations, oracle updates, and periods of market stress, which helped build confidence in bringing V4 to the Avalanche ecosystem.
Avalanche Foundation has committed up to $15 million in milestone-based incentives to encourage rapid adoption and growth. These rewards are tied to the launch of new liquidity hubs and reaching specific market growth benchmarks.
The launch of Aave V4 on Avalanche introduces specialized lending infrastructure with robust risk controls and shared liquidity, setting a foundation for expanded credit markets that may include tokenized assets.
Details of the liquidity hub and spokesAave V4’s initial rollout on Avalanche features one central Liquidity Hub and three Spokes, each designed to facilitate different lending and borrowing arrangements. The main Liquidity Hub offers a shared pool of assets including wAVAX, sAVAX, BTC.b, USDC, USDT, wETH.e, and EURC. Users can supply or access liquidity with these core assets, connecting borrowers and lenders across the network.
The Main Spoke aligns with the hub’s asset list for both borrowing and collateral requirements, giving users seamless interaction with the most widely used cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. Additionally, the AVAX Correlated Spoke focuses on sAVAX and WAVAX as collateral options, with WAVAX as the key borrowable asset. Meanwhile, the Forex Spoke is designed for stablecoin trading and supports EURC, USDC, and USDT for both collateralization and loan origination.
SpokeCollateral AssetsBorrowable AssetsMain SpokewAVAX, sAVAX, BTC.b, USDC, USDT, wETH.e, EURCwAVAX, sAVAX, BTC.b, USDC, USDT, wETH.e, EURCAVAX Correlated SpokesAVAX, WAVAXWAVAXForex SpokeEURC, USDC, USDTEURC, USDC, USDTThis multi-layered structure aims to offer flexibility for different user needs while preserving the integrity and efficiency of liquidity across the protocol.
Planned RWA hub and governance stepsA proposal for a new RWA (real-world asset) Hub is expected following the initial launch. This hub would be focused on institutional-grade collateral sourced from tokenized real-world assets such as investment funds or traditional financial products, but placed entirely on-chain. The RWA Hub will be governed separately, with distinct asset lists, risk control parameters, and a dedicated oracle setup.
LlamaRisk, an independent risk consulting provider, will perform community feedback gathering and risk analysis before any final governance decisions are made. The process will proceed through the ARFC Snapshot phase before potentially reaching a full Aave Improvement Proposal (AIP) vote for affirmation.
Mini dictionary: RWA (Real World Assets): Refers to tangible or traditional financial products, such as investment funds or bonds, that are tokenized and represented on a blockchain for integration with decentralized finance protocols.
By isolating institutional-grade collateral from the main retail liquidity pools, the RWA Hub seeks to mitigate cross-market risks and facilitate greater participation from institutions.
Aave, one of the largest decentralized lending and borrowing protocols globally, continues to expand its reach by leveraging Avalanche’s robust DeFi infrastructure, signaling a potential shift for how on-chain credit markets develop in the coming years.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Solana $SOL has crossed a new milestone in the real-world asset (RWA) space, surpassing 300,000 holders for the first time to become the largest blockchain network by RWA holder count. According to data from rwa(.)xyz, the network now stands at 300,130 RWA holders, pulling ahead of all competing chains.
Holder Lead Built on Rapid Growth The milestone caps a period of sharp expansion. Solana first crossed the 200,000-holder mark in late April 2026, meaning the network added roughly 85,000 RWA holders in less than two months. Solana accounts for roughly 31% of all RWA holders across tracked blockchain networks, placing it ahead of Ethereum, which has 199,191 holders, and BNB Chain with 101,902 holders.
The holder count lead reflects a broader shift in how the network is being used. On June 24, Solana's tokenized stock market reached a record $644 million in daily trading volume, highlighting the network's shift from a memecoin-focused blockchain toward a hub for tokenized financial assets. Tokenized stocks posted $5.77 billion in quarterly volume during Q2 2026, a figure that exceeds the prior year's second-half total by more than seven times.
RWA Value Climbs, Gap With Ethereum Narrows While Solana leads in holder count, its tokenized asset market also continues to expand in value. The network's RWA ecosystem quadrupled in value during the first half of 2026, growing from $873 million in January to a record $3.62 billion in July, driven by rapid growth in tokenized stocks, rising institutional adoption, and record trading activity. The network's tokenized asset market currently sits above $3.3 billion.
In just the past 30 days, Solana recorded nearly $967 million in net inflows to its RWA market, the highest figure among all tracked blockchain networks during the same window. For comparison, Ethereum reported approximately $202 million in net outflows during the same 30-day timeframe.
Ethereum still leads the overall RWA market by a wide margin. The latest milestone places Solana behind only Ethereum, which holds approximately $15.9 billion in RWAs, and BNB Chain, at roughly $3.9 billion. However, the pace of inflows and the growing holder base suggest Solana is closing the gap faster than either rival. In terms of distributed RWA value, Solana has gained 14% while Ethereum has fallen by 4.7% during the same 30-day period.
Institutional demand has been a key driver of the expansion. BlackRock's BUIDL fund has deployed $615 million on-chain through Securitize, making it the largest individual RWA position on Solana. Citigroup completed a tokenized Bill of Exchange settlement pilot with PwC in February, while institutional market maker B2C2 has chosen Solana as its primary stablecoin settlement network.
Sources:
Solana Floor: Solana's RWA Market Hits Record $3.62B
The Crypto Basic: Solana Tokenized RWA Market Soars 4x in H1 2026
Crypto Briefing: Solana's RWA Market Reaches $3.62B After $2B Growth in Six Months
Bitcoin traded flat near the $64,600 mark on Thursday as easing inflation and rising geopolitical tensions kept investors cautious. The world's largest cryptocurrency was last trading at $64,560.
Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin slipped 0.42%, while Ethereum gained 2.24% to trade at $1,917. Among major altcoins, BNB and XRP rose 0.45% and 0.51%, respectively, while Solana, Tron, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin and Cardano fell by up to 0.95%.
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Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus, said softer-than-expected U.S. consumer and producer inflation data eased concerns over an immediate Federal Reserve rate hike. However, renewed geopolitical tensions and higher crude oil prices prevented a stronger risk-on rally.
He advised investors to avoid chasing short-term breakouts, adding that staggered accumulation, limited leverage and disciplined position sizing remain preferable until Bitcoin sustains above $65,500 and ETF inflows become more consistent.
According to CoinMarketCap, the global cryptocurrency market capitalisation edged up 0.1% to $2.22 trillion. The CoinDCX Research Team said Bitcoin touched a local high above $65,600, driven by nearly $209 million in short liquidations. It also noted that crypto ETFs other than Bitcoin and Ethereum saw virtually no activity.
Over the past week, Bitcoin and Ethereum gained 2.41% and 9.25%, respectively. Among major altcoins, BNB, XRP and Dogecoin rose by up to 1.61%, while Solana, Tron and Hyperliquid declined by up to 2.03%.
The CoinSwitch Markets Desk said Bitcoin climbed to a three-week high of $65,500 after U.S. producer inflation fell 0.3% month-on-month, reinforcing the softer CPI print released a day earlier, before easing below $65,000.
It added that Bitcoin now faces resistance around $67,200. A sustained breakout above this level could pave the way toward $70,000. However, traders remain cautious as the cryptocurrency approaches its 50-month exponential moving average (EMA), which has historically acted as a key resistance level during bearish phases.
Here’s what another analyst said:
Avinash Shekhar, Co-founder and CEO of Pi42, said the crypto market is showing encouraging signs of renewed institutional confidence, with Bitcoin supported by fresh ETF inflows while Ethereum continues to attract attention ahead of potential catalysts in the second half of the year.
He advised investors to build positions gradually with a disciplined approach rather than react to daily price swings or speculative narratives.
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Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst, Delta Exchange, said: “Bitcoin is still struggling to establish acceptance above the $65,000-$66,000 resistance zone. The first key support lies near $64,200. Ethereum continues to display stronger relative momentum, although its Relative Strength Index (RSI), at around 71, indicates overextended conditions.”
Nischal Shetty, Founder, WazirX, said: “The crypto market is witnessing renewed optimism as softer inflation data has eased concerns over further interest rate hikes. Lower rate expectations typically improve liquidity for risk assets, and signs of institutional confidence are already emerging, with both Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs recording fresh inflows last week.”
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions expressed by the experts are their own and do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Republican senators at the White House on Thursday afternoon in an effort to resolve the most contentious issue surrounding the Clarity Act, a major piece of crypto-related legislation.
Key meeting participantsThe anticipated meeting will involve Republican Senators Bernie Moreno and Cynthia Lummis, White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Kristin Smith, president of the Solana Policy Institute, stated that this group will strive to develop a compromise regarding an ethics provision that has been the focal point of debate over the bill.
Smith said the purpose is to introduce potential solutions on the ethics issue and gain Trump’s approval, characterizing the development as a positive step for the bill’s progress.
Kristin Smith indicated that the aim of the meeting is to present ideas to address the ethics issue and secure President Trump’s support for them, calling the initiative significantly positive for advancing the legislation.
Mini dictionary: Solana Policy Institute, a nonprofit policy organization focused on advancing blockchain and crypto asset regulation, particularly around the Solana blockchain ecosystem.
Ethics provision remains key obstacleAt the center of the dispute is an unresolved section that would place restrictions on senior government officials, prohibiting them from holding personal business interests in crypto assets. Democratic lawmakers have pushed for these limitations, citing concerns tied to Trump’s established connections to the cryptocurrency sector. The fate of the Clarity Act may therefore hinge on whether Trump will accept restrictions that could directly impact his own business interests.
On Tuesday, Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen, Chris Murphy, and Jeff Merkley held a press conference voicing their opposition to the bill unless it includes a provision severing what they described as Trump’s “corrupt” associations with the crypto industry.
Senate dynamics and legislative timelineThe Clarity Act passed the Senate Banking Committee in May by a 15-9 vote. Democratic Senators Ruben Gallego and Angela Alsobrooks were the only members of their party to support the bill in committee. However, both lawmakers have since stated that they would not vote for its final passage unless a robust ethics measure is added.
Senator John Thune has pushed for a floor vote on the bill before legislators adjourn for the summer recess, which follows the first week of August. Congressional focus is expected to shift toward the November midterm elections after the break, making the current legislative window particularly narrow for resolving outstanding issues tied to the bill.
SenatorPartySupport in CommitteeSupport Conditional on Ethics ProvisionRuben GallegoDemocraticYesYesAngela AlsobrooksDemocraticYesYesChris Van HollenDemocraticNoWants ethics provisionChris MurphyDemocraticNoWants ethics provisionJeff MerkleyDemocraticNoWants ethics provisionIf the division over ethics requirements persists, the Clarity Act may struggle to advance before lawmakers turn their attention to the election campaign, narrowing the opportunity for bipartisan compromise.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
A group of major financial and technology companies, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Stripe, and Coinbase, have established the x402 Foundation to create an open standard for AI-driven commerce and payments across the internet.
Industry leaders unite for open payments protocolThe x402 Foundation aims to provide a neutral platform where competitors and various payment methods can collaborate to develop the x402 protocol, a payments standard enabling transactions between AI agents, machines, and humans through Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
Foundation membership now includes over 40 organizations such as Ripple, Adyen, Fiserv, Shopify, Google, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Circle, MoonPay, and the Solana Foundation, in addition to the founding partners. These companies represent a wide cross-section of payments, e-commerce, blockchain, and cloud computing sectors.
The initiative follows lessons from the early internet era, with participants stressing the importance of avoiding restrictive “walled gardens” in financial systems. By embracing open-source principles, the foundation wants to ensure access and interoperability for future AI-enabled commerce.
Coinbase, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, initially developed the x402 protocol. The protocol’s name is inspired by the “402 Payment Required” HTTP response code, designed in the internet’s early days to allow browsers to process payments for online content.
Mini dictionary: x402 Foundation, a nonprofit group launched to promote and steward an open payments protocol that facilitates transactions between AI agents, humans, and machines using standard internet protocols.
Technical direction and governanceAlin Dragos, senior manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Payments, serves as board chairperson of the x402 Foundation. The group has started the search for an executive director and has already formed a technical steering committee to begin protocol development and oversight.
Dragos described bringing the project under the Linux Foundation as the right environment for collaborative, open-source standards-building. He said the x402 protocol aims to extend the original design of HTTP, allowing not just information, but value and payments, to move seamlessly across the internet.
“We solved the problem whereby participants on the internet can exchange information, but we don’t actually have a good way to exchange value. In order to build a standard, you need many competitors and payment methods to come and work together and it’s important to have this neutral ground to pave the way for agents to transact on behalf of people,” Dragos emphasized.
Foundation members believe AI agents could soon facilitate a significant portion of online transactions, including micropayments, and want standards in place before mass adoption. They argue that blockchain technology has resolved the underlying payment infrastructure, but integration with agentic models and internet standards now needs collective focus.
Member CompanySectorVisaPaymentsMastercardPaymentsAmerican ExpressPaymentsStripePaymentsCoinbaseCryptocurrency ExchangeRippleBlockchain/PaymentsGoogle, AWS, CloudflareCloud/TechnologyShopifyE-commerceCircle, MoonPay, Solana FoundationCrypto/BlockchainDeveloping a global payments ecosystemFred Ehrsam, co-founder of Coinbase, highlighted the economic opportunities made possible through agentic payments and open standards: “You don’t want to be in a walled garden when you’re dealing with money.” He believes that creating a global, public financial system accessibly managed by diverse entities is a historic opportunity.
Advocates say the x402 protocol could allow users and machines to make one-off payments for content or services without relying on subscriptions or repeatedly entering payment details. While large-scale implementation has not yet occurred, participants expect adoption to grow steadily as merchant and agent integrations expand.
Dixon stated, “There’s a lot of different, really interesting opportunities that come from this. Blockchain has already solved the issue of the underlying payment infrastructure of the web, but now it’s actually really working because of this agentic piece. It’s being used, perhaps not at scale yet. But it will.”
Since the foundation’s launch just three months ago, membership and momentum have increased rapidly. The group sees these early milestones as a strong sign for their vision of inclusive and standardized AI-driven internet payments.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Bitcoin rose above $64,000 following weaker-than-expected US CPI and PPI data. However, further gains are limited due to simultaneous selling by both long-term and short-term investors.
While Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins are also experiencing gains, noteworthy statements have come from the US banking giant Morgan Stanley.
At this point, a Morgan Stanley analyst compared Solana to Ethereum, the largest altcoin.
And here, SOL has historically been highlighted as a better diversification tool than ETH.
Speaking to Coindesk, Morgan Stanley investment strategist Denny Galindo argued that Solana has historically been a superior diversification asset compared to Ethereum.
Galindo notes that with the rise of spot Bitcoin ETFs, followed by Ethereum and Solana ETFs, the question of which digital assets investors should include in their portfolios alongside Bitcoin has come to the forefront.
Galindo also stated that the correlation coefficient between Bitcoin and ETH is 0.78 until April 2026, while the correlation between Bitcoin and SOL is 0.72, explaining that the BTC-SOL correlation is lower.
According to the analyst, this suggests that Solana is slightly less likely to move in the same direction as Bitcoin. The lower correlation indicates a higher probability of Solana moving independently of Bitcoin, and therefore contributing more to portfolio diversification.
The analyst also notes that Solana’s correlation with the S&P 500 is slightly lower compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Based on these historical correlations, Galindo concluded that SOL could be a better diversification asset than ETH. However, the analyst pointed out that Solana has higher price volatility than Ethereum, and investors should consider this risk factor when evaluating the diversification advantage.
*This is not investment advice.
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ETRADE, a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, has completed its rollout of spot services for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, enabling eligible clients to buy, sell, and hold these cryptocurrencies directly within their brokerage accounts. The service, which comes with a transaction fee of 50 basis points, marks a significant integration of traditional finance with the crypto market. This offering positions ETRADE competitively against other major platforms like Charles Schwab and Coinbase, which have higher fees. While the platform currently does not support transfers to external wallets, such functionality is expected to be added later this year.
Market participants appear to have responded positively to this development, particularly regarding the potential impact on Solana. The move may indicate increased demand and activity, contributing to market expectations of Solana’s price movement. Notably, this development coincides with a broader trend of traditional financial institutions embracing cryptocurrencies, potentially sparking a competitive environment around retail crypto fees.
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The introduction of spot access for these cryptocurrencies by a major financial institution like Morgan Stanley’s E*TRADE suggests increased mainstream acceptance and integration of digital assets. The market’s reaction appears consistent with scenarios where Solana could see heightened demand and volume.
Key Takeaways E*TRADE’s rollout of spot access for cryptocurrencies appears consistent with increased mainstream acceptance of digital assets. Market pricing suggests participants view this as supportive of increased Solana demand, potentially impacting its price. The competitive fee structure could lead to a broader retail crypto fee competition among traditional financial platforms. What to Watch Watch for potential announcements regarding the implementation of external wallet transfers, which could further influence market dynamics. Additionally, observe any strategic responses from competitors like Charles Schwab and Coinbase that may impact fee structures and market share. Solana’s price movements in the coming weeks will provide further insight into the market’s reaction to this integration, particularly if demand and volume increase as expected.
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Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h August 1 2026 11.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.4% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.4% — — View market → August 1 2026 1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 3.8% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 8.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.2% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 40.5% — — View market →
Rakuten Wallet Adds Shiba Inu to Its Physical Collectible LineupJapanese tech giant Rakuten Wallet has unveiled a physical Shiba Inu ($SHIB) commemorative coin, marking the fifth entry in its branded Real Coin series. Unlike previous releases in the series, which included Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP, the Shiba Inu coin is the first to use sandblasting technology, known as a blast finish. The result is a premium matte texture and unique tactile properties that earned the souvenir 100% approval from the company's employees during internal office testing.
The coin is a souvenir item, not a blockchain asset. Rakuten Wallet framed it as part of its offline engagement strategy, where users can see and handle crypto-themed replicas at events.
A Retail Push Aimed at 44 Million UsersRakuten Wallet is launching the physical Shiba Inu souvenir coins for its 44 million users to promote offline retail interaction, with the metal coins set to be given away for free at events. The firm believes that introducing metal keepsake coins could help cautious Japanese consumers become more comfortable with crypto assets.
Millions of Japanese users can also convert their loyalty points, known as Rakuten Points, into SHIB and spend them through the Rakuten Pay payment system at 5 million retail locations across the country. Rakuten is seeking to establish itself as the country's leading retail gateway before major investment funds are legally allowed to enter the market.
The physical coin campaign also sharpens Rakuten's rivalry with domestic competitors. Mercari has already integrated SHIB trading into its consumer-to-consumer app, allowing 23 million customers to buy the token from as little as 1 yen. According to Mercoin's financial reporting, this approach helped it attract 4 million users, and for 85% of them, it was their first experience with digital assets.
The broader push into meme token retail sits on firm regulatory ground. Japan's Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA) officially recognised SHIB as an approved asset in November 2025, clearing the way for broader commercial and promotional usage of the token. Last month, Japan's House of Representatives also passed a bill that moves crypto regulation from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.
Sources:
U.Today: Japan's E-Commerce Giant Rakuten to Give Away Physical Shiba Inu Coins to 44 Million Users
Crypto.news: SHIB Gains Japan Retail Push Through Rakuten Wallet
CoinTurk: SHIB Enters the World of Physical Coins in Japan
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After falling about 33% from its most recent local peak, Cash Cat has entered a severe corrective phase. The market capitalization of the Noxa-affiliated meme coin is currently close to $89 million, which is significantly less than the $200 million+ valuation it momentarily attained during its explosive growth.
CASHCAT's top was foundAccording to the four-hour chart, CASHCAT first rose nearly vertically, going from a negligible capitalization to more than $100 million before reaching an all-time high of about $234 million. But near the top, the token was unable to create steady support. Sellers seized control and pushed the asset back toward the $100 million range after multiple erratic attempts at recovery. Right now, this decline doesn't look like a small pullback in a sound uptrend.
Source: gmgnSince the peak, CASHCAT has experienced a series of lower highs, and each subsequent rebound has sparked fresh selling. Additionally, trading volume increased during a number of bearish candles, indicating that holders were not merely waiting out brief volatility but were actively exiting their positions. The most crucial immediate support range is currently the capitalization zone between $90 million and $100 million.
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Typical memecoin structureThis area is already being tested by CASHCAT, and a significant drop below it could expose the token to yet another significant decline. The next discernible demand area is closer to $70 million to $80 million, but because the asset appreciated so quickly, the chart offers little historical structure.
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An additional degree of risk is created by CASHCAT's affiliation with Noxa. The token, which came from the Noxa ecosystem, is said to have contributed significantly to Noxa's demise. In particular, that association might continue to affect sentiment if traders start to doubt liquidity, insider activity, or the sustainability of the earlier valuation increase.
If CASHCAT stays above the current range and recovers to about $120 million, a recovery is still feasible. The current bearish structure would be broken, and a move toward $140 million to $160 million might be possible.
But as of right now, buyers haven't shown enough strength to trigger this kind of reversal. The 33% drop might not be the ultimate bottom because CASHCAT is still far below its all-time high and selling pressure remains evident. Another leg downward would be much more likely if the current support zone were to disappear.
The U.S. government has transferred nearly $250,000 worth of Shiba Inu tokens seized from the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
The transactions, first flagged by blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence, have sparked speculation that the assets are being repositioned as part of the ongoing FTX bankruptcy recovery process.
U.S. Government Transfers Nearly 55 Billion SHIB According to Arkham Intelligence, the U.S. government executed the Shiba Inu transfers in two separate transactions.
The first and largest transfer moved 54.89 billion SHIB, valued at approximately $235,500, to an unlabeled wallet address. Authorities then sent an additional 2.32 million SHIB to the same destination wallet. Overall, the government moved a total of 54,897,092,652 (54.89 billion) SHIB tokens.
US Government Transfers Shiba Inu On-chain data shows that the original U.S. government wallet no longer holds any SHIB after the transfers. Meanwhile, the receiving wallet now contains 54.89 billion SHIB, with SHIB representing the wallet’s only asset.
The SHIB transfers were not the only transactions recorded by Arkham Intelligence. Blockchain data also shows that the U.S. government transferred $19.62 million in USDT to Coinbase, alongside roughly $9.3 million worth of ETH sent to the same exchange.
Seized Assets Expected to Support FTX Creditor Repayments The transferred SHIB originated from assets the U.S. government seized from FTX and Alameda Research after the exchange collapsed in November 2022.
Arkham Intelligence indicated that the tokens will presumably help fund repayments to creditors affected by the FTX bankruptcy. However, creditors are unlikely to receive SHIB or other cryptocurrencies directly.
Instead, the FTX bankruptcy estate has consistently liquidated recovered digital assets and distributed the proceeds in cash. As a result, creditors receive U.S. dollar payments based on cryptocurrency prices at the time FTX filed for bankruptcy in November 2022, rather than at current market values.
FTX Repayment Program Nears $9.5 Billion The latest government wallet activity comes as FTX continues to make substantial repayments to creditors. On March 31, 2026, the bankruptcy estate completed its fourth distribution round, paying $2.2 billion to eligible creditors. That payment increased the total amount distributed to around $9.5 billion.
According to the estate, most U.S. customers and general unsecured creditors have now recovered 100% of their approved claims, while convenience class claimants have received payouts of up to 120%.
The March distribution followed three earlier repayment rounds completed in February, May, and September 2025. Meanwhile, FTX also began processing payments to preferred equity shareholders in late May 2026, marking another milestone in the bankruptcy proceedings.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Weekly spot flows for Shiba Inu have increased by about 60%, suggesting that direct market activity surrounding SHIB has improved despite the price's ongoing decline. The rise is significant because spot flows, as opposed to leveraged derivatives positions, typically represent real token purchases and transfers.
Inflows finally flip backPositive net spot inflows over a number of shorter time periods are shown in recent flow data. Over the course of one hour, SHIB recorded a positive net inflow of about $43,400, over four hours, about $77,100, and over twelve hours, almost $77,900. These numbers indicate that while the token is trading close to $0.00000417, buyers are consuming a portion of the available supply.
SHIB/USDT Chart by TradingViewStronger spot flows have not yet resulted in a strong price reversal, though. SHIB is still below the daily chart's major exponential moving averages. The 50-day EMA is located around $0.00000464, and the 20-day EMA is close to $0.00000440. The 200-day EMA at $0.00000623 and the 100-day EMA at $0.00000518 show more significant resistance. Because of this structure, the overall trend remains negative.
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SHIB returned to the lower end of its current trading range after failing to maintain its June rebound. SHIB is in the vicinity of oversold territory with the Relative Strength Index close to 35, but a reversal has not been confirmed. This implies that selling pressure may be waning, but it also leaves room for another drop. Data on on-chain exchanges is still inconsistent. While overall exchange netflow decreased by 0.18%, exchange reserves only increased by 0.03%.
Risks tied to inflowsConcurrently, the average seven-day exchange inflow increased by 8.25%. When tokens move onto exchanges, higher inflows may indicate greater selling risk, which would partially offset the positive spot-flow increase.
Buyers must push the token above $0.00000440 and then recover $0.00000464 in order for SHIB's price health to significantly improve. Stronger spot flows suggest accumulation interest but not a proven recovery until that point. SHIB would be vulnerable to another move toward the $0.00000400 area if it lost the most recent floor near $0.00000410.
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
TL;DR
The US Justice Department transferred 54.89 billion SHIB seized in the FTX case after the tokens' value fell from $1.55 million to approximately $235,500, representing an 85% decline.Binance founder Changpeng Zhao argued that AI can increase productivity but cannot protect purchasing power like Bitcoin's fixed supply. BTC recovered above $65,000 as US inflation pressures eased.XRP wallets holding at least 1 million tokens accumulated another 70 million XRP, worth approximately $77 million, as buyers defended support near $1.08 and resistance remained around $1.14.US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $108 million in daily inflows, led by BlackRock's IBIT with $80.82 million, while BTC's $65,000 resistance, Ethereum's recovery toward $2,000, and the CLARITY Act remained the main market catalysts.FTX paradox: US Justice Department retained just 15% of the dollar value of seized Shiba InuLarge-scale activity across US government wallets has exposed the specifics of state custody of volatile digital assets. Over the past several days, US agencies have moved more than $338 million in confiscated cryptocurrency, according to Arkham on-chain data.
Most of the funds, including 3,940 BTC and 40,000 ETH, were sent to Coinbase Prime. However, the market's attention was drawn to a much smaller but more revealing transfer involving Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens.
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The transaction involved a pool of 54.89 billion SHIB tokens seized by officials during the investigation into the collapse of the FTX exchange and Alameda Research. The changing value of these confiscated assets clearly illustrates the impact of prolonged legal proceedings on high-risk assets:
Last year, this volume of tokens was valued at $1.55 million.On July 15, the Justice Department completely emptied the "FTX Alameda Seized Funds" address, transferring the same tokens to a new wallet. At the time of the transaction, their value had fallen to just $235,500.US Government history of transactions with Shiba Inu (SHIB) coin seized from FTX, Source: ArkhamAs a result of market corrections, the government retained only 15% of the position's former dollar value. According to available information, this volume of SHIB is not intended for sale on the open market. The US government will continue holding the assets for subsequent settlements with FTX creditors.
For affected exchange customers, this creates a precedent in which the repayment procedure involves distributing the original tokens, although their actual purchasing power declined by 85% during the legal proceedings. The transactions followed the agencies' standard practice of conducting $10 test transfers and also involved small balances of WBTC, COMP, and MANA.
Why the Binance founder believes AI is useless against inflation, unlike BitcoinWhile the technology sector remains focused on the capabilities of neural networks, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, has brought investors back to a harsh economic reality. Artificial intelligence can radically increase business productivity, but it is technologically incapable of protecting personal capital from depreciation.
According to CZ, this role still belongs exclusively to Bitcoin because its issuance is strictly limited at the code level.
The position of the Binance founder was effectively supported from the perspective of traditional institutional finance by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. In his assessment, following a major reduction in leverage, the crypto market has cleared out excessive speculative positions and become significantly more resilient.
AI is great, but it does not protect you against inflation.
Bitcoin does.
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) July 16, 2026 The industry leaders' statements came against the backdrop of fresh US macroeconomic data. The latest CPI report showed that US consumer inflation had declined to 3.5%, while the Producer Price Index surprised the market by falling 0.3%.
The market immediately responded to the easing of inflationary pressure. Bitcoin began a confident recovery, broke through local resistance, and consolidated above the psychologically important $65,000 level.
Large investors bought 70 million XRP as the price stabilized near $1.10The largest XRP holders have intensified their purchases. According to fresh on-chain data from Santiment cited by Ali Martinez, wallets holding at least 1 million XRP added another 70 million tokens over the past week. At the current market price, the investment is worth approximately $77 million.
The purchases were made gradually between July 9 and July 15, increasing the total holdings of these large investors to 3.83 billion XRP. This group of large market participants now controls an impressive 74% of the token's total circulating supply.
From a technical perspective, the chart shows a classic accumulation period. XRP remains trapped within a downward trend, with the exponential moving average near $1.14 acting as the key barrier and resistance level.
XRP price chart on a daily timeframe with fresh report from Ali Martinez, Source: TradingViewLarge investors are using the current consolidation near $1.10 to methodically increase their positions at a relatively stable price without causing sharp market fluctuations.
At the same time, buyers have formed a strong support zone below the current price, with the $1.08 level actively defended by large orders. The RSI momentum indicator also points to a potential recovery as it begins turning upward from oversold territory.
Meanwhile, tokens continue to flow from trading platforms to cold wallets, while the total number of active addresses on the XRP Ledger has exceeded 8 million.
Crypto market outlook: AI payments, the Senate, and a new Bitcoin cycleThe cryptocurrency market is showing clear signs of forming a local bottom in mid-July 2026. The industry is currently caught between renewed demand for Bitcoin ETFs, expectations of key regulatory decisions in the US Senate, and the expansion of stablecoins into the real economy.
Total Bitcoin Spot ETF net inflow in US over the last 30 days, Source: SoSoValueBitcoin is holding the strategic $64,000–$65,000 range, laying the foundation for a potential short squeeze.
Key checkpoints:
ETFs return to the market: After an extended period of selling pressure, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net daily inflows of $108 million. BlackRock's IBIT fund led the recovery, attracting $80.82 million on its own and confirming institutional interest at current price levels.Bitcoin holds its position: BTC has consolidated above an important liquidity zone near $64,000. A breakout and sustained move above the $65,000 resistance level would open a direct path toward testing the long-term barrier near $67,000. At the same time, a strong volume shelf at $57,511 remains the main line of defense for holders.US legislative trigger: Investors are focused on Washington, where the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on July 17. Senator Cynthia Lummis confirmed that Clarity Act, which is critically important for the regulation of innovation and digital assets, is expected to be brought to a Senate vote during the week beginning July 20.Ethereum shows strength: ETH staged a dynamic recovery from a three-week low of $1,630, rising into the $1,910–$1,918 range. Sellers are capitulating, but buyers must hold the intermediate support level at $1,850 to maintain momentum toward the psychological target of $2,000.Real-world adoption and stablecoin expansion: The crypto market's infrastructure foundation continues to strengthen as Visa and Artemis have officially identified stablecoins as the best payment solution for microtransactions within AI ecosystems. At the same time, Tether invested $20 million in Latin American fintech giant Ualá, valued at $3.2 billion, expanding access to digital dollars for 11 million users. You Might Also Like
Shiba Inu has seen its weekly spot flows surge by approximately 60%, pointing to heightened direct market activity for the popular meme coin. This increase in spot flows, which typically signals genuine token purchasing and transfers rather than leveraged trading, indicates growing investor engagement amid ongoing price weakness.
Spot flow trends and recent SHIB demandRecent market data shows Shiba Inu has consistently recorded positive net spot inflows over several time frames. In the past hour, SHIB saw a net inflow of about $43,400, with four-hour data reflecting inflows around $77,100 and twelve-hour totals nearing $77,900. With SHIB trading close to $0.00000417, these figures suggest that buyers are absorbing part of the circulating supply despite persistent price declines.
Data indicates that buyers are actively accumulating SHIB near current prices, even as the token remains under pressure, with spot purchases outpacing supply for several consecutive sessions.
Technical outlook: Resistance and market structureDespite improving spot flows, SHIB’s price has yet to deliver a sustained recovery. The token remains below several key exponential moving averages on the daily chart. The 20-day EMA stands near $0.00000440 and the 50-day EMA at $0.00000464, both acting as immediate barriers for upward movement. Higher resistance is seen at the 100-day EMA ($0.00000518) and 200-day EMA ($0.00000623), reinforcing the current negative trend.
Shiba Inu recently retreated to the lower end of its established trading range after failing to sustain gains from its June rebound. The Relative Strength Index now hovers near 35, approaching the threshold for oversold conditions. While this suggests selling pressure may be easing, any recovery remains unconfirmed.
On-chain signals and exchange dataOn-chain and exchange metrics remain mixed. Overall exchange netflow declined by 0.18%, while exchange reserves nudged higher by just 0.03%. At the same time, the average seven-day exchange inflow for SHIB increased by 8.25%, raising the possibility of renewed selling should more tokens be moved to exchanges.
When a cryptocurrency’s inflows to centralized exchanges rise, it can indicate increased potential for selling, which may offset positive spot flow trends if sustained.
Mini dictionary: Spot flows refer to actual purchases and transfers of tokens on the open market, compared to derivative positions, which are often speculative bets on price movement without immediate ownership of the asset.
MetricCurrent ValueChangeWeekly spot flowsIncreased+60%1-hour net inflow$43,400Positive4-hour net inflow$77,100Positive12-hour net inflow$77,900Positive7-day exchange inflowIncreased+8.25%Relative Strength Index~35Near oversoldKey price levels and outlookAnalysts suggest that for Shiba Inu’s price to show meaningful signs of recovery, buyers need to move the token above the $0.00000440 resistance and reclaim the $0.00000464 level. Although stronger spot flows hint at accumulation, a confirmed price rebound is lacking while SHIB trades below these thresholds.
If SHIB drops beneath its recent support at $0.00000410, the token may become vulnerable to further declines toward the $0.00000400 region.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Stanford researchers found signs of manipulation in Polymarket’s five-minute Bitcoin markets. Suspected traders earned an estimated $8.2 million from the activity. Longer settlements and average-price methods could reduce manipulation risks. Prediction markets keep drawing more traders from around the world. The new studies by scholars have revealed that there might be specific contractual designs. These would inadvertently favour such strategic behaviour of market participants. Scholars from Stanford University and Singapore Management University studied five-minute Bitcoin prediction contracts traded on Polymarket. They found anomalies that did not seem to correspond to normal trading behavior.
Researchers Study Trading Trends around Settlement The study analysed approximately 16,000 five-minute Bitcoin contracts launched within two months of their market entry. Researchers noted sudden directional trading spikes on Binance shortly before contract settlement, followed by abrupt price retracements right after, repeatedly.
Source: Settlement Manipulation in Prediction Markets The trends appeared strongest when contracts remained evenly divided, giving traders with large positions stronger incentives to trade before settlement. Researchers tracked the trading volumes of the settlement period, which averaged 3.9x higher than usual in the case of contracts with strong signals of a possible manipulation attempt.
Overnights and weekends had higher concentration due to low liquidity, which made small transactions affect the prices of Bitcoin more efficiently, at least for some time. The researchers estimated that the total profit of the suspected manipulators was around $8.2 million, although some sources used different calculations. Researchers emphasized that the evidence remained purely circumstantial.
Longer Settlement Windows Make Price Manipulation Less Effective Researchers found that most suspicious trading activity disappeared after contract durations increased from five minutes to fifteen minutes. This made price manipulation much less efficient since it was necessary to create an artificial market movement over an extended period of time, which increased costs.
Researchers proposed using time-weighted average price (TWAP) settlement to reduce opportunities for market manipulation at a single point in time. Polymarket admitted that no price manipulations have been seen but agreed to implement an averaging-based settlement process for some markets within a year.
Binance said that it has monitoring and anti-manipulation software installed on its platform, but stressed that the settlement process is decided by other platforms which operate outside the exchange. It was pointed out that similar vulnerabilities might be observed even outside cryptocurrency since prediction markets spread into traditional financial assets.;
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The argument over Bitcoin vs. artificial intelligence with regards to greater returns is building steam in financial markets. Now, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has joined the discussion. He provided a simple take on the debate as investors compare the two growth sectors as Binance also looks to adopt AI technology.
Binance’s CZ Offers Take On Bitcoin vs. AI Debate CZ posted on the social media platform X, saying, “AI is great, but it does not protect you against inflation. Bitcoin does.” His comments were made as top Wall Street companies offered opposing views on where capital might go during the rest of 2026.
However, AI firms have drawn in huge capital inflows with experts hinting at another $700 billion surge incoming. Still Bitcoin’s defenders have been advocating for better macroeconomic conditions that may benefit the world’s largest digital currency, the debate has been heating up.
AI is great, but it does not protect you against inflation.
Bitcoin does.
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) July 16, 2026
Nonetheless, since Binance has also resorted to AI technology, not everyone is convinced with what CZ just said. Also, other industry experts have different opinion on the ongoing Bitcoin vs. AI conflict.
BlackRock Sees Bitcoin Benefiting From Fiscal Risks The digital assets team head at BlackRock, Robert Mitchnick, thinks the focus has been drawn away from Bitcoin. For the moment, it seems to have fallen into the back seat as spot BTC ETFs recorded humongous outflows lately. That could change, he said, as concerns about the U.S. government borrowing become more prominent.
While Bitcoin has struggled to reach any consensus on prices these days, that may change as concerns continue to grow about the increasing deficit, and the prospect of currency debasement, said Mitchnick. He added: “And the more fear there is over the borrowing level and the risk of money printing, that is ultimately the most important, I think fundamental driver ahead.”
For context, Bitcoin price was recently hovering around the level $65,000 recovering from earlier weakness. Nonetheless, BTC is still far from the record levels seen in October 2025, when it hit over $126,000, as BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF experienced significant inflows.
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Stays Dedicated To AI JPMorgan’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, remains bullish on the AI investing theme. He cited huge investments are going on all over the AI industry and the economy has been strong as evidence for his sense of optimism. Moreover, he expects AI spending to hit $700 billion this year.
While the labor market is relatively unchanged, the investment in AI is getting into the hundreds of billions of dollars this year, Dimon said. He described the environment as “We’re in a bull market. It’s like a little tsunami. When that kind of thing happens, it’s very hard to stop.”
In past years, Dimon has harshly denounced Bitcoin several times. Despite this he has recently tempered his concerns about geopolitical tensions and government borrowing over the next couple of years.
There has also been some doubts about the hype around AI stocks. In a recent article on their respective Substacks, Bernstein and Cummings suggested that the recent rise in valuation at the top-tier AI firms suggests a bubble that is “still inflating.”
They also said that businesses are investing aggressively in AI, which is decreasing their cash holdings, and that the technology budget is a higher percentage of U.S. GDP than it was in the dot-com days.
In the interim, BlackRock analyst Rick Rieder has signaled that the asset manager will be selling down its holdings of companies that are directly leveraging AI and buying up companies that are likely to benefit from the growth of AI.
One company that has caught the eye is TeraWulf, a Bitcoin miner. For context, Terawulf recently inked a 20-year contract with Anthropic to host the tech company’s AI data center infrastructure.
Softer Inflation Data Supports Crypto Market Rebound The overall crypto market was also fueled by new U.S. inflation data. The producer price index (PPI) was slightly below the market’s expectations. PPI inflation rose 5.5% year-over-year, much below the market expectations of 6.2%.
After the inflation release, Bitcoin rose above $65,000 and Ethereum returned to the $1,900 mark. The entire cryptocurrency market also moved higher as traders dialled back their hopes for further monetary tightening.
Markets have now given little chance of a July rate hike based on CME FedWatch data. The sentiment around the crypto market is improving, as evidenced by limited expectations for tighter monetary policy on Prediction market Polymarket.
However, since OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepSeek are eyeing an IPO, netizens expect capital to rotate from risk assets like Bitcoin toward these companies. Recently, the SpaceX IPO saw billions in investment from both traditional and risk-oriented investors.
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